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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264248">Red</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moldie_Feelings/pseuds/Moldie_Feelings'>Moldie_Feelings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Colors [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Danny Phantom, Young Justice (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ableism, Abuse, Brainwashing, Child Abuse, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Dissociation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Happy Ending, Gaslighting, Gen, Healing, Hypnotism, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Not Beta Read, Self-Harm, Sexual Abuse, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:41:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,811</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264248</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moldie_Feelings/pseuds/Moldie_Feelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Red is a human color, but I don't think it's a humane color."<br/>"Then what is?"<br/>"Blue."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Danny Fenton &amp; Dick Grayson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Colors [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>604</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dick never liked the charity dinners. No one was ever really genuine, everyone wanted something, and, most importantly, there was never really anyone his age. He stood against the wall looking around at everyone going around the room, smiling and giving side glances. A tap of the shoulder made him turn to see Bruce.</p><p>“What?” he asked. Bruce lifted an eyebrow. “Sorry, I’m just not whelmed at all.” Bruce pointed to another wall, where a teenager a little older than Dick was gazing off.</p><p>“Get to meet him. He’s Vladimir Masters’ ward, so maybe he has some info.” Bruce’s voice was low, trying not to attract attention. Dick nodded and walked over to where the teenager stood, swaying on his heels and… well, he was looking straight ahead, but it was like he wasn’t <em>seeing</em> anything. <em>Bruce didn’t say the kid was blind. Oh well</em>.</p><p>“Uh, hey! I’m Dick Grayson. It’s nice seeing someone my age at these things.” The older of the two blinked slowly and turned his gaze to make direct eye contact with Dick, startling Dick. His eyes were a dull red. Dick frowned and then covered it up immediately with a smile. <em>Okay, maybe he’s not blind? His gaze is pretty blank, though.</em></p><p>The teen opened his mouth slightly and then closed it again. He repeated it a few more times. <em>He could be high. But his sclera is completely white. Maybe he’s on something else?</em></p><p>“…N-nice to meet… you.” Dick tried to relax his shoulders.</p><p>“Nice to meet you too! What’s your name?”</p><p>“Danny F…” He shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut. “Masters. Dan—Daniel Masters.”</p><p>
  <em>Weird.</em>
</p><p>Dick extended his hand. “Well, hope we can be friends. Or at least survive this boring charity auction. Is this your first one?”</p><p>Danny didn’t reach out. Dick dropped his hand.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Oh, man, it must be extra boring to you. Have you eaten anything? At least Bruce got a good caterer. Come on.” Danny didn’t move, shifting his gaze to the floor.</p><p>“M… Father told me to stay here until he came back. I’m… sorry.” Dick puffed out his cheeks.</p><p>“I mean, if you’re hungry, I’m sure he’d understand, right?”</p><p>Silence.</p><p>“Daniel, son!” Danny’s eyes widened slightly as he tensed. Dick furrowed his brows and looked at the source of Danny’s tension. There he was. Vlad Masters, world’s most suspicious billionaire. He got up right behind Danny and squeezed the boy’s shoulder. Once he noticed Dick, he smiled.</p><p>“Ah, Richard Wayne!”</p><p>“Grayson,” Dick corrected immediately. Vlad’s eyes twitched.</p><p>“Yes, of course. Silly me. I see you’ve met my Daniel?” Vlad used his other hand to ruffle and fix Danny’s hair. The latter stared straight ahead, stiff as a board. Dick tried not to look concerned.</p><p>“Uh, yeah. Danny might be kind of hungry, so I was going to show him where the food is.” He smiled at Danny, but the boy didn’t respond, instead closing his eyes and staying still.</p><p>“Oh, I suppose he might.” Vlad’s gaze moved and he smiled again, too many teeth and digging his hand deeper into Danny’s shoulder to the point it looked painful. “Mr. Wayne himself! I was looking for you. See, Dalv Co. is thinking of—”</p><p>“I don’t negotiate business during charity auctions,” Bruce interrupted. Dick’s lips twitched upwards at seeing Vlad’s discontent. Then he frowned upon seeing how much tighter he gripped Danny’s shoulder. “Still, I see our wards met.”</p><p>“Yes, Young Richard and Daniel are going to get food.” As if he were suddenly allergic to his ward, Vlad shoved Danny forward, causing the boy to stumble a little. Dick gripped his forearm to stabilize him, making Danny wince before settling back to his dazed expression. “Come back soon, okay? Daniel might be a little overwhelmed. This is his first time being in a big crowd in a long time.”</p><p>Bruce gestured discreetly for Dick to go, and Dick nudged Danny along. He turned around slightly to lipread Vlad and caught a few words. He knew Bruce would fill him in later, but curiosity still got to him.</p><p><em>“Daniel is still rehabilitating after an accident… we’ve actually moved to Gotham so he could have a fresh start… doctor said—”</em> a group of women blocked his view and he grumbled before continuing his journey to the food table. He loaded up a small plate with his favorites and gave it to Danny, making sure he wouldn’t drop it. Not that it particularly mattered, but still. Dick took Danny to sit down and got water for him.</p><p>“So, how is it?” Dick asked after Danny’s first bite. He took a while to respond, but eventually Danny nodded. “Say, you look tired. If you want, we can just sit down for a little.”</p><p>“Want?” Danny’s voice sounded a little strained. “Do you want to sit, too?” Dick frowned.</p><p>“I’m fine. Just rest up a little, okay?” Danny made hollow eye contact.</p><p>“Okay. As you wish.”</p><p><em>This is seriously kind of creepy</em>.</p><p>Danny drank some water with shaking hands and then kept staring ahead blankly. Dick saw out of the corner of his eye some women gesturing towards Danny and whispering. “<em>Invalid, I’ve heard</em>,” one says. “<em>Poor Mister Masters, looking after a nephew like that.</em>” “<em>I could never.</em>”</p><p>Dick ignored it and crouched to be eye level with Danny.</p><p>“So, if I may ask, how is Mister Masters?”</p><p>Danny stared at nothing, lips tightly closed, then squeezed his eyes shut.</p><p>“Head hurts,” he mumbled. He tried to stand up shakily. “Sorry. Goodbye.” He made it about five steps before stumbling and almost falling. Dick reached out to help and then it happened.</p><p>Danny yanked his hand back and stared at Dick with wide, unseeing eyes.</p><p>“Get away from me.”</p><p>“Sorry, I was just trying to help.”</p><p>Danny trembled and hugged himself, breathing erratically.</p><p>“Ah, Danny, Danny, breathe. Are you having a panic attack?”</p><p>Danny fell back onto the floor and gripped his head, biting his lip to keep his groans quiet. People stopped and stared. Dick crouched and tried to think. <em>What to do, what to do…</em></p><p>“Do you want me to get Masters?”</p><p>Danny’s eyes flickered blue as he mouth <em>no</em>, then turned back to red. “Please.”</p><p>As if on cue, Vlad all but ran to his nephew and helped him up, hugging him tight against his chest. How the boy could breathe in that hug was beyond Dick, but soon enough he stilled completely and Vlad pulled back to brush some hair out of Danny’s face.</p><p>“I knew this would be too much for you,” Vlad lamented. “Sorry, Young Richard. I think we should take our leave. Thank Mr. Wayne for our chat for me.”</p><p>Danny’s steps were sluggish and Vlad had to pull every so often, hard enough it probably hurt Danny.</p><p>Dick glared at some people as they started to whisper and gossip about Danny.</p><p>Soon enough, the auction was finished, and once everyone left, Dick tugged Bruce’s arm.</p><p>“I don’t feel too good about that Masters guy.”</p><p>“Danny?”</p><p>“No, Danny’s… Danny’s fine. It’s Vlad.”</p><p>“Let’s talk about this later.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Later ended up being the Batcave while Bruce typed in some information on Vlad’s questionable business practices.</p><p>“What did you learn, Bruce?”</p><p>“Very little,” he grumbled, typing harder and faster. “I did learn about Danny.”</p><p>“Oh, same.”</p><p>Bruce saved, closed, and encrypted the file.</p><p>“Danny’s family was in a terrible accident. He lost almost everyone that day. His parents were scientists and they seemed to not have noticed a gas leak while welding in the basement.” Bruce crossed his arms. “Danny was taken into custody by Vlad and has severe depression. They moved here to give Danny a new start, and Vlad, according to himself, has been very gentle with Danny in order to get him better.” Bruce turned to Dick. “He mentioned hypnotherapy worked for a little. Which is a lot of information to give, so either he thinks he’s a martyr for helping this boy—”</p><p>“Or he’s covering something by pretending to be open and transparent,” Dick finished. “Personally, I learned Danny’s eyes might not actually be red.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I was trying to gain intel by asking him about Masters and he froze, said his head hurt, and when I asked if he wanted me to fetch Mister Masters for him his eyes turned blue and.” Dick grimaced. “I’ve never seen so much fear on someone’s face just by saying something like that. Then his eyes turned red again and Mister Master ran to him.” He cupped his chin. “When you said you don’t do business during charity auctions, Masters squeezed Danny’s shoulder really hard. He was also playing with his hair and Danny just seemed to uncomfortable and scared beyond words.”</p><p>“Maybe he’s dissociating.” Bruce started a new file and typed in the information Dick offered.</p><p>“But maybe it’s not just because he’s still affected by the accident. I think Masters is doing something.”</p><p>“Don’t jump to conclusions, Dick.”</p><p>“But you felt it too, right?” Bruce sighed.</p><p>“We’ll have to further investigate. Your gut feelings may be onto something, but don’t be certain right off the bat. Bias will taint everything if you do.”</p><p>“Ugh, okay.” Dick rolled his shoulders. “Are we going on patrol now?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>They left soon after.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny stared at the floor as he sat in one of the armchairs.</p><p>“Daniel,” Vlad hissed. “Look at me.”</p><p>Danny raised his head slowly, tears running down his face. Vlad sighed.</p><p>“I knew we shouldn’t have gone. Look at you! You’re a mess.” Vlad ran his hands through Danny’s hair, clicking his tongue at the sorry sight in front of him. He yanked Danny’s hair, making the boy’s breath hitch. “I was trying to butter up Wayne and then you just <em>had</em> to break down.” He let go of Danny’s hair. “I suppose it can’t be helped. With so many distractions, our… <em>bond</em> seemed to weaken.”</p><p>Danny’s eyes were glued onto Vlad’s ring, swirling, pretty colors captivating him. Whispering to him. Placating him. Vlad smiled and smoothed out Danny’s hair, lingering on his cheeks and wiping away the tears with his thumbs as he cupped Danny’s face.</p><p>“You’re still perfect.”</p><p>Danny squeezed his eyes shut when Vlad landed a kiss on his forehead, then nose, then lips.</p><p>“And mine.”</p><p>“Yours?” Danny rasped, eyes half lidded and relaxed and unfocused. Vlad hugged him.</p><p>“Forever and always,” Vlad chirped. Danny sighed and rested his forehead on Vlad’s shoulder.</p><p>“…Yeah.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vlad carefully hooked a necklace with a swirling calming eternally whispering ruby around Danny’s neck, then fixed the boy’s tie.</p><p>“This should help. I don’t want you to fizzle back into that annoying past self. It’s safer like this.” He pinched Danny’s cheek and sent him off with the driver. “If you feel ill, text me and I’ll get you. Just for this first month, while you’re getting used to it.”</p><p>“Yes, Father.”</p><p>“Good boy.”</p><p>Gotham Academy was a beast of its own, pricey and like a maze to someone who could barely navigate the mansion, too distracted by whispers and promises of peace and serene thoughts if he just gave in and let the red consume him. Still, he found the office, he got his schedule, and got a person to show him around the school— both excused for homeroom.</p><p>“…Dick?”</p><p>The boy in question turned around, startled, before settling into a smile.</p><p>“Oh, Danny! Nice seeing you again.” Dick gingerly took the schedule from Danny’s hands. “Oh, we have like, half our classes together, and one with my friend Babs. Let me show you.” He slipped the schedule to mark up the map of the school. “And your locker is close to your last class. Lucky.”</p><p>Dick showed his around, gesturing to classrooms and bathrooms and mentioning which teachers are kind of stricter and which ones let things slide a little more. Danny tried to soak in the information, but after a while it turned into static.</p><p><strong>Don’t strain yourself, </strong>whispered the ruby,<strong> <em>He’ll</em> take care of you. Only think of <em>Him</em>. This boy is <em>nothing</em>. <em>He</em> is <em>everything</em>. Peace. Calm. Change and constant.</strong></p><p>“…Danny?” Dick asked nervously, seeing the slightly older boy frozen in the hallway, swaying on his heels. “Danny, are you okay? Do you need the school nurse?” Dick glanced off at the wall and smiled awkwardly. “Not that school nurses do much, but you could probably lay down on the cot. Danny?”</p><p><em>No, everyone is something. I need to focus; he’s trying to help. Dick is nice.</em> Danny breathed deeply and tried to ignore the gem’s suggestions, wincing as the whispers grew louder.</p><p>“Sorry, I’m okay, it’s just a lot of information.” Danny wrung his fingers. “Please speak slower.”</p><p><strong><em>“Invalid, I’ve heard.” </em></strong><strong>You’re really not proving anyone wrong. Just relax and we’ll make sure you’re <em>perfect</em> like <em>He</em> wants.</strong> Danny clenched his jaw and tried to ignore the shouting whispers.</p><p>“Oh, okay. Sorry,” Dick cackled, “I’ve been told I speak too fast, and this is probably a lot of information. I’m sure you’ll get it as you go to class and stuff. Anyway, homeroom is almost over, so let’s go to your locker and then your first class, okay?”</p><p>
  <strong>Maybe he thinks you’re an invalid too… <em>He</em> would never. You’re <em>perfect</em> to <em>Him</em>.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Stop it stop it stop it.</em>
</p><p>Danny forced himself to smile, but Dick’s terrified look made him stop.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Gotham Academy had a lot of windows, Danny noticed after the teacher motioned for him to sit near Dick. The lesson was static, already worn out. The whispers of the ruby were always exhausting, a constant garble of information and promises impossible to filter out. He hated this place. The mansion was so quiet and being close to Vlad made the gems quieter. Still, he tried to take notes.</p><p>The bell rung and Danny clutched his head at the noise.</p><p>“You have the next class with my friend Babs, so let me introduce you.” Dick fixed his backpack and glanced down before grimacing and walking to the door. “Come on; there’s only seven minutes between classes.”</p><p>Danny nodded and closed his notebook, gulping at what his handwriting had dissolved to as the class went on.</p><p>
  <em>Break the glass break the glass break the glass and swallow it</em>
</p><p>He slammed the notebook shut, stuffed everything in his bag, and followed.</p><p>Babs, or Barbara, was a very nice person. She smiled and talked slower than Dick, making it easier to understand her. The teacher also spoke low and slow in a droning way that Danny could focus on.</p><p>Gotham Academy’s windows seemed to multiply the more he looked at them.</p><p>Everything was static after that, tired of ignoring the gem’s whispers. Scratching was only that strong of a distraction.</p><p>…</p><p>“Mr. Masters, since you were not here when the project was assigned last class, you’ll be put into a group with Mr. Grayson and Ms. Gordon.”</p><p><strong>Oh, <em>He</em> won’t like that, will <em>He</em>?</strong> The false concern of the gem made Danny’s stomach sink. <strong>Sharing isn’t really something agreeable with <em>Him</em>, don’t you think—?</strong></p><p>“—Danny?” Danny startled.</p><p>“Y-yes?”</p><p>“Class finished and you’ve been staring.” Dick piled up Danny’s notebooks and gestured to his bag. “Come on, let’s get things fixed in your locker. You remember the number, right?”</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>A shake of the head before staring at his hands.</p><p>“Danny, your hands!” Barbara flipped over Danny’s palm. Palms and wrists scratched raw, red and brown. Fingertips and nails caked in the damn stuff. Danny put his things in his bag and looked at his wrists.</p><p>
  <strong>Silly boy.</strong>
</p><p>“Locker,” Danny mumbled.</p><p>“Um, Danny, maybe we should get that checked out first. It could get infected.” Barbara flinched at Danny’s empty look. Danny sighed.</p><p>“Father will fix it.” Danny opened the classroom door and trailed off into the hallway. “Father fixes everything.”</p><p>“<em>Are you sure he’s okay?”</em> Barbara’s voice reached his ears from the other side of the hallway. Danny clenched his fists and hissed in pain as his nails dug into the tender and raw flesh.</p><p>He found his locker and wandered over to the front door, ignoring Dick and Barbara’s calls for him to wait.</p><p>
  <strong>Poor thing, they really <em>do</em> think you’re an invalid.</strong>
</p><p>Instead of the driver, Vlad waited at the gates, a small smile on his face.</p><p>“How was school, Little Badger?” They walked over to Vlad’s car.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Vlad went to reach for Danny’s hand to steady the boy in case the swayed, then saw his hands and sighed.</p><p>“Daniel, you could have called home. It was too much to handle, wasn’t it? Look at your poor hands.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Father.” Vlad clasped Danny’s back and helped him into the car and buckled him in.</p><p>“It’s okay, son. I should have known this would be too much for you. Oh, don’t cry, I only want what’s best for you.”</p><p>“Thank you Father.”</p><p>Once they were home, Vlad carefully washed, dried, and fixed up Danny’s hands, bandaging them tightly after his bath. He kissed Danny’s hands and cupped his face.</p><p>“Dear boy, you’re useless without me, aren’t you?”</p><p>“…Yes.”</p><p>Dinner was taken to Danny and the two ate at his desk.</p><p>“You poor thing. You’re okay now, Father is here.” Empty.</p><p>“I’m okay now; Father is here.” Numb.</p><p>“Good boy.” Vlad rubbed Danny’s bruised shoulder. He didn’t flinch. “I know you have homework, but you’re so tired, aren’t you? Maybe you should sleep early.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Perfect. You’re perfect. Father’s Perfect Badger. Come here.”</p><p>Static Numb Nothingness.</p><p>Sleep was a haven. A time where gems didn’t speak and no one whispered and V— Father wasn’t there. Inky. Warm. Nothingness, in a good way.</p><p>But he never slept well on nights like these.</p><p>Erratic. Cold. Everything, too much, <em>I hate it, it needs to stop</em>.</p><p>“Good morning Badger— oh no.”</p><p>Immediately Danny thrashed, choked, gurgled, moaned, cried and bit and scratched and sunk his nails into his skin.</p><p>“Daniel, Daniel. Daniel <em>stop</em>.”</p><p>Red.</p><p>Static.</p><p>Numb.</p><p>In a good way.</p><p>Eyes a dull red, Vlad flipped the unresponsive boy onto his back. Sighing, he licked the blood off of Danny’s face and lips and neck, smiling more with every drop.</p><p>“Perfect. Delectable.”</p><p>“Per…fect.”</p><p>Dick was waiting at the arches of Gotham Academy, arms crossed and trying not to look worried or expectant. Soon, Danny showed up, shaking slightly with every movement.</p><p>“Oh, good! Your hands are bandaged.” Dick squinted and bit his lip.</p><p>Bruises on his neck and collarbone and looking closer Danny’s lips were a little swollen.</p><p>Danny was more hollow that day than the days before, if that was possible. His eyes were practically glazed over and unseeing. He shook frequently. As if he couldn’t find ways to stop hurting himself, he scratched half of his neck and part of his collarbone a bright pink, skin peeling and with a gauzy sheen to it.</p><p>He wasn’t hollow when he did that though. Trembling and like he was looking at something invisible to everyone else, a cold sweat on his forehead.</p><p>“Hey, Danny?”</p><p>Tired red eyes met Dick’s blue ones.</p><p>“So, we have to work on our project. Can you come home with me and Babs after school today?”</p><p>Danny winced and lightly touched the side of his head as if he was struck with a migraine.</p><p>“I’ll ask Father.” Then, as an afterthought, most likely unaware he had even said it: “He doesn’t like to share.”</p><p>Dick froze.</p><p>“I’m sorry?”</p><p>“Hm?” Danny blinked. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was thinking to myself.”</p><p><strong>Maybe he thinks you can’t think</strong>, sneered the ruby. <strong>But <em>He</em> knows your potential.</strong></p><p>During lunch, Danny took out his phone and called Vlad.</p><p>“Little Badger, you know I’m busy. You should text me when I’m at work.”</p><p>“Sorry, Father. I have a request.”</p><p>“You want something?” Vlad sounded surprised. “I thought you… anyway, what is it?”</p><p>“There’s a group project and Dick Grayson suggested I go to his residence so we can work on it. After school. Today. Is that okay, Father?”</p><p>
  <strong>Oh dear.</strong>
</p><p>“Father?”</p><p>“All right. If you must.” Vlad’s voice was harsh and clipped. “But you need to pay me back. Don’t make me regret this.”</p><p>“Okay.” <em>Say no say no stop agreeing</em>. “Thank you, Father.”</p><p>“You’re welcome.”</p><p>“I adore you.”</p><p>“I know. Ta!”</p><p>Danny’s heavy legs took him to his next class. He couldn’t eat with the cold pit in his stomach.</p><p>“So, what did he say?”</p><p>“He said I can go.”</p><p>
  <strong>Aw, you hate him. See, <em>He’s</em> the only one for you. That’s why you have to pay for betraying <em>Him</em> like this.</strong>
</p><p>Danny wiped his face and took his notes for the rest of the class period, ignoring every glance Dick gave him.</p><p>Clicking in seat belts while trembling is a near impossible task.</p><p>Still, he managed and kept his hands on his lap the whole way to Wayne Manor. The Wayne’s butler, Mr. Pennyworth, welcomed the two inside.</p><p>“Young Danny, are you in need of first aid? Your neck looks quite scratched up.”</p><p>“It’s okay.”</p><p>
  <em>He’ll be mad if I let someone else touch me.</em>
</p><p>Dick offered snacks and Danny took a few as well as water. Barbara set up the materials and started working on the outline. Meanwhile, Dick stared at Danny.</p><p>“Is something wrong?”</p><p>“Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking. How did you get those bruises?”</p><p>
  <em>“You’re prefect.”</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>He’s nosy. He wants to rip you apart. There’s only one person who really cares for you, don’t forget that.</strong>
</p><p>“I…”</p><p>
  <strong>Lie.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I don’t like lying.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>LIE!</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>“It’s nothing. I was probably distracted.”</p><p>
  <em>“Delectable.”</em>
</p><p>Danny tried to scratch his wrists before remembering they were bandaged up, then, in desperation, put his hands around his neck and squeezed.</p><p>“Danny, don’t!” Hands yanking. “You’ll hurt yourself!”</p><p>
  <strong>I told you he thinks you’re stupid. Everyone does except <em>Him</em>. Go home. It’s the only place you should be. The only place your purpose can be fulfilled. You’re <em>His</em>.</strong>
</p><p>“Let go of me.”</p><p>“Not if you’re going to injure yourself.”</p><p>“Let go of me, please.” His voice cracked at the last word, tears streaming. “Let go let go <em>let go</em>.”</p><p>Involuntarily, he scrunched up, a weak barrier at best but better than none. Dick gulped.</p><p>“Danny, may I ask you something?”</p><p>“Dick, what are you—?” Whatever face Dick made, it caused Barbara to stop talking.</p><p>“What are you scared of? What do you think I’m going to do?”</p><p>
  <strong>All right, you’re a terrible liar. Don’t disappoint the one person who loves you. Tell a half truth.</strong>
</p><p>“Hurt me.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“You’re pinning me down. Squeezing hard. Hurts.”</p><p>“Oh,” Dick said, letting go. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Let’s just finish working, please. I don’t want to be out longer than I have to.”</p><p>They all worked silently. Eventually, Danny’s eyes drooped.</p><p>
  <strong>Go home. He’s waiting.</strong>
</p><p>“I need to go now.”</p><p>“Oh, um. Okay. Should we drive you?”</p><p>“No.” Danny took his phone out and texted Vlad. “I should get packed up.”</p><p>The ruby was euphoric when Danny saw Vlad, whispering how happy Danny should be, how calm he should be, how he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be.</p><p>Danny wished he was like the gem sometimes. So sure in every thought.</p><p>The gem wouldn’t mind <em>paying Him back</em>.</p><p>Danny just felt gross.</p><p>“I adore you.”</p><p>“…I know.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny avoided talking to Dick the day after that.</p><p>They worked on the project during lunch instead. Danny gripped his pencil tight.</p><p>“Glad to see you got a patch on your neck,” Dick said. Danny pressed down on the paper harder.</p><p>“Your neck can heal now. How’s your hands?” Barbara asked.</p><p>“Better,” Danny replied, outlining the words. He handed it to Barbara. “Because of the bandages I can’t hold the scissors well, please cut this out for me.”</p><p>“Sure thing.”</p><p>Dick stared at Danny as the boy finished his homework. He looked more tired if that was possible. He didn’t look quite as hollow thought, consumed by anger. Danny glared at Dick with his head bowed, making Dick shudder.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“Bruce, I’m telling you something isn’t right,” Dick said. “Can’t we at least plant a bug or something? I’m worried for Danny.”</p><p>“Dick,” Bruce sighed, “I’ll see what we can do. Without Danny’s permission, the footage would be rendered null as evidence and if you’re right and Masters find out, Danny could be in serious trouble.”</p><p>“It’s not fair.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“It’s our job to make things more fair. We have to try.”</p><p>“Don’t get emotionally compromised now, Robin.”</p><p>“I won’t.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“You’re such a beautiful, useless thing.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“You’re mine.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“You need me to survive.”</p><p>“I need you to survive.”</p><p>“Good boy.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>“Okay, let’s train for a little bit. Can’t have you getting rusty. After all, you’ll finally be useful, Little Badger.”</p><p>White rings wash over the teenager, transforming him into a teenager with white hair, a spandex suit, and dull red eyes. Glazed over. Like a corpse.</p><p>“Don’t get sloppy on purpose. I won’t hold back, and I’ll be very angry if you hold back.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>
  <strong>You can’t hurt <em>Him! He’s</em> everything!</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I missed.</em>
</p><p>“Little Badger, focus!”</p><p>Eventually, Vlad ended up on the floor taking deep breaths. Danny’s eyes had flickered green at some point and he had really attacked, catching him off guard. Danny knelt down next to Vlad and drew his fists up, as if about to punch. Instead, he dropped his hands gently onto Vlad’s chest and forehead. His eyes held sparks of blue amidst the red as some ice was placed thinly over Vlad’s injuries.</p><p>“I’m sorry Father.”</p><p>“Are you really?”</p><p>
  <em>Say yes.</em>
</p><p>“Please forgive me.” Danny laid his head on Vlad’s chest. “I am worthless without you. Please forgive me for hurting you. You can punish me if you wish.” Vlad’s hand rubbed Danny’s sore and tender back.</p><p>“Silly little thing, you didn’t really hurt me.” Vlad yanked Danny’s hair, cutting off the latter’s air supply for a second before punching him in the throat. “But a wayward child must be punished anyway. You understand your mistake. Now get up, do your homework, and sleep.”</p><p>“Yes Father.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“One of the poem’s main themes is if the unlovable can be loved. Please take these ten minutes to write out a thesis, your evidence, and your commentary.”</p><p>
  <em>What counts as unlovable?</em>
</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“Well, tonight we make our debut, I suppose.” The vampire-looking ghost caressed the cheek of the teenaged ghost. “Right, Little Daniel?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Vlad smashed the glass and the alarm rang, plunging the room into flashing red lights.</p><p>Vlad held the goal of the heist: the prototype chip for a new Wayne invention, a lesson for refusing the man business time and time again. It was easy to get in and out as ghosts, but making an impression was the real goal here. A message in ectoplasm.</p><p>The Batman and Robin showed up soon enough, Robin baring his teeth at the two. Danny’s limbs were made of lead and static. He didn’t want to hurt anyone.</p><p>
  <strong>Don’t you dare hold back and disappoint <em>Him</em>.</strong>
</p><p>Robin threw the first punch: small bombs. Danny and Vlad turned intangible in response, but the noise pierced through Danny’s skull and he crumpled to the floor in pain.</p><p>
  <strong>Get up. Now.</strong>
</p><p>His head swam, but he stood up anyway, a marionette on invisible strings.</p><p>
  <strong>Go for the weakling.</strong>
</p><p>Robin twirled his staff and prepared to fight. <em>So young. I can’t ruin him.</em></p><p>
  <strong>Don’t hold back.</strong>
</p><p>Danny charged up his hands with energy and aimed for Robin’s head.</p><p>
  <strong>It’s not even that hard. Show <em>Him</em> you’re not worthless.</strong>
</p><p>Danny trembled. Robin faltered as the enemy started crying but got his guard back up as he tried to fix his aim. <em>I can’t do this. I can’t hurt someone like this.</em></p><p>“What are you waiting for? Do it already!” Vlad yelled. Danny’s eyes turned into a deeper red and he stopped shaking. Just one blast could blow his arm right off. Really leave an impression. Danny floated and readied his aim.</p><p>Robin clasped his shoulder as the blast nicked him.</p><p>
  <em>You’re worse than him. You could have fought back harder.</em>
</p><p>An invisible bit of ice soothed the wound and Danny floated back. Vlad grit his teeth and blasted Batman’s leg, burning the armor and hopefully the skin, too. Vlad grabbed Danny and pressed him against his chest. Danny stared off, tears falling freely. Vlad bit his neck, causing Danny to writhe in pain. He trailed his hands down his hips to his inner thigh. “Why are you so disobedient? I’m very disappointed, and you know what happens.”</p><p>Red eyes widened and pleaded with the heroes. Before anyone could do anything, the two ghosts vanished.</p><p>“Batman. Please tell me I’m wrong. That I saw the wrong thing.”</p><p>“You’re not.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p><strong>Even <em>His</em> punishment is a reward out of love</strong>, whispered the ruby. <strong>You need to thank him.</strong></p><p>“Th-thank you, Father.” No response outside of angrier movement. “I understand my mistake. I— <em>mmm</em>— really understand and re-regret, so—!”</p><p>
  <em>Hurts. Anywhere but here.</em>
</p><p>The bite on his neck was pressed into, snapping Danny pack into the moment and causing him to choke and gasp.</p><p>“Don’t you dare space out during punishment.”</p><p>“Yes, Father. I’m sorry.” Stars filled his vision for a moment and he couldn’t breathe, then again and again and again. <em>This isn’t happening to </em>me;<em> this is just happening to this poor breathing shell of a human being.</em> “I’m so, so sorry.”</p><p>“Sorry doesn’t fix it.”</p><p>
  <em>Hurts.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>You’re so useless. Maybe you ought to die. <em>He’s</em> suffering so much for you and all you do is disappoint.</strong>
</p><p>Whispers from Vlad’s ring agreed. With one last rough movement, Danny closed off.</p><p>He doesn’t know how he got to bed, but soon enough he was there, running his fingers over the pages of his textbook and with raw and red skin from his shower. A gauze patch covered the bite.</p><p>Danny looked at his unbandaged hands, still pink and slightly brown as it healed from deep scratches and abrasions. Same as his collarbone.</p><p>He realized once again he doesn’t want to exist. Still, he continues his homework. He isn’t sure it’s done well, but it’s done. His torso and thighs hurt. And neck. Unfair.</p><p>And there’s no one in the world that can make things more fair.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny ate his oatmeal slowly but without savoring it. There were probably expensive spices in it, but all he tasted was nothingness. Thick nothingness he could choke on.</p><p>“Maybe you shouldn’t go to school today,” Vlad lamented. Danny didn’t look up or respond in any way.</p><p>Chew, chew, swallow.</p><p>“Maybe you’re not prepared to leave the house like that, so far away from me. Should I pull you out of school?”</p><p>Munch.</p><p>Danny’s input wouldn’t matter either way.</p><p>“I won’t always be around, so this is good practice for you to manage things on your own…” Vlad tapped his fingers against the dining room table and folded his newspaper. A sad smile took over his lips. “Unless the best fate for you is to be always with me? Say, if something happens to me, what do you do?”</p><p>
  <strong>You can’t survive without <em>Him</em>. <em>He</em> is everything.</strong>
</p><p>“Die,” Danny answered, finishing his oatmeal. Vlad raised his eyebrows.</p><p>“So resolved. I truly adore you, even though you’re so useless.”</p><p>“Thank you, Father.” Danny sipped his water and ran a hand through his hair, looking at the pink and red of his hands.</p><p>“Oh, right; we need to bandage your hands. Honestly Daniel, what would you do without me?”</p><p>“Die.”</p><p>Pat of the head.</p><p>“Correct.” Vlad reached over and planted a kiss on the top of Danny’s head, making the boy tense. “You should go to school. Yes, that’s for the best. Let’s bandage your hands and get ready to go.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Vlad fixed Danny’s tie before sending him off with the driver. The distance between the two grew and grew until the gem on Danny’s necklace was demanding he go back to the only place the world made sense. Danny ignored it.</p><p>“Friday! First time having a weekend from Gotham Academy! How does it feel?”</p><p>
  <em>“How does it feel, Badger?”</em>
</p><p>Danny wrapped his arms around himself and stared at the floor before shrugging.</p><p>“It’s just Friday.” Dick pouted and leaned forward in an attempt to create eye contact, but Danny stared at nothing until they got to his locker. Danny adjusted his bag and laid his hand flat against the locker door. “…How about you?”</p><p>“It may be ‘just Friday’ to you, but I’m going to hang out with a friend from another city today.” Dick felt relieved that Danny wasn’t ignoring him.</p><p>“That’s nice.” Danny locked his locker and started walking towards homeroom, Dick trailing behind him.</p><p>“What are you doing this weekend?”</p><p>“Father says I should rest.” They stood against the wall near the door, waiting for the bell.</p><p>“Oh. Hey, how’s your neck? That bandage is new.”</p><p>Danny covered the gauze pad with his hand, unable to ignore the pulse throbbing the fang bites.</p><p>“It’s better.” Danny traced a figure eight around the two puncture wounds without noticing. “Don’t worry about… oh, that’s the bell. We should go in.”</p><p>The bite pulsed all throughout the school day. Barbara smiled at him during math class and told him she wouldn’t be at lunch since she had stuff to do for her club. Danny nodded along politely until the tardy bell rang and she sat in her seat in the next row.</p><p>By lunch, Danny was slumped over, pain from all around his body making itself known and the gem’s whispers being at a fortissimo, making him want to claw his brain out to stop the noise.</p><p>But he was tired of fighting. Surely he could drift off for now, let whatever commands Vlad thinks about through the stone drag him around for the rest of the day.</p><p>“Aren’t you hungry?”</p><p>That being said, the boy across the table wasn’t letting him, constantly grounding him with his voice and poorly-held-back laughs.</p><p>“Come on, even if you’re not feeling the aster I’m sure eating would be good for you.”</p><p>And his hacking away of the English language.</p><p>Danny took out a small container of salad and ate it while cocking his head at Dick. Dick grinned at him.</p><p>Danny didn’t know why he smiled back, lips tight and squinting in a <em>what are you looking at</em> way.</p><p>“What do you like to do for fun?” Dick asked, putting his empty containers away. Danny stabbed his lettuce. High quality. Imported, probably.</p><p>
  <em>Being with Father, being next to Father, engulfing Father.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Diving into the words the gems speak so I never have to think or feel again.</em>
</p><p>“Games,” he said instead. He doesn’t know why he said that. Vlad thinks games will rot his brain more than it already is. Except for chess.</p><p>
  <em>I hate chess.</em>
</p><p>“Bruce is great at Monopoly,” Dick said, already thinking about something else. “Personally, I like gymnastics.”</p><p>“That’s nice.” Danny put his salad away. He couldn’t stand to look at the lettuce anymore.</p><p><strong>Stop talking to the boy,</strong> urged the gem, <strong>there’s only one person for you. You belong to only One.</strong></p><p>“Maybe we can hang out next weekend.”</p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p>Lunch ended and the two parted ways, only to collide again for the last class of the day. Danny made tight swirls in the margins of his notes when he got tired and Gotham Academy’s windows multiplied the more he looked at them.</p><p>He was so tired.</p><p>“Read page 277 of your textbook and answer the questions on the bottom.”</p><p>Danny scribbled it and waited for the bell. Students left the classroom in a current of sorts and Barbara waved and ran off to work on her club and Dick walked off cackling, thinking of his friend from another city.</p><p>Danny put things in his locker and went in the car and the stone stopped whispering once they were back at the mansion. Danny clipped his shoulder onto Vlad’s arm, already sinking under the waves of red, red, red.</p><p>“How was school, Daniel?” Vlad asked, placing his hand on the low of Danny’s back. Incapable of keeping it up, Danny’s head lolled down once they got inside.</p><p>“I missed you,” Danny said. He wasn’t sure who he was referring to.</p><p>“It can’t be helped,” Vlad said, cupping Danny’s small, limp face. Danny’s bag slipped off his shoulders and fell onto the floor.</p><p>
  <strong>Relax, relax, everything’s easy now. Nothing to worry about as long as <em>He’s</em> here. No more thinking or worrying or doing. Just <em>rest</em>.</strong>
</p><p>Vlad steadied Danny once the boy’s eyes turned a dark red and rolled back into his head, falling forward without any conscious thought to keep it up.</p><p>“Silly boy,” Vlad said with a small smile. He traced his eyebrows, eyelids, nose, lips, and jaw. Vlad frowned at the sight of the gauze pad hiding the bite and peeled it back. After cooling down, he’d realized he was too rough on Danny. His handiwork reminded him otherwise. Vlad pressed into it, making the unconscious boy hiss in a breath. Vlad kissed the bite mark gently and Danny relaxed.</p><p>Danny noticed he wasn’t in his bed. He was in the library, on the chaise. The rough material scratched his neck and back where his shirt had ridden up. He listened to the garbled and hushed whispers to turn his gaze exactly to where Vlad was, reading. After a minute or two, Vlad seemed to notice Danny’s stare and turned to look at him.</p><p>“Oh, Badger! You’re awake now.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>“Do you want dinner?”</p><p>No.</p><p>“Well, dinner will be prepared in half an hour, so get an appetite in that time.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>“Good boy.”</p><p>Danny closed his eyes and relaxed into the chaise, listening to Vlad write.</p><p>The gems whispered to him, reassuring him that if he simply stopped fighting, stopped trying to think or feel, everything would be better.</p><p>He ignored them and sat up.</p><p>“Oh, are you going to shower now?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Get the first aid kid ready afterwards.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Logically, Danny should like cold water. It made him feel more awake and alert and numbed physical pain. But warm showers were like a promise that it would be over soon, that all his aches would go away if he just let the water hug him tightly until he also turned into water. That didn’t happen. Danny got out of the shower, dried his injuries carefully, and got in sleepwear and a knee-length robe. He rolled the sleeves up slightly in order to let his wrists dry out. He combed his hair and dug out the first aid kit and walked back to the library.</p><p>Vlad was nice when he was like this, fixing up his wounds. Even the ones he caused. He tenderly felt the bite mark from the day before.</p><p>“I’m sorry Little Badger,” he said, drowning in remorse. Danny didn’t even blink. “Even though you were inadequate last night, I went too far.”</p><p>
  <em>Is he apologizing?</em>
</p><p>“I shouldn’t have bit you so deeply. Just try not to anger me again.”</p><p>
  <em>I guess not.</em>
</p><p>Danny leaned forward until his head was safely nestled on Vlad’s shoulder. Vlad rubbed his back, careful of the bruises from training. “Come on, let’s go eat.”</p><p>“…Okay.” Vlad took his hand and gently led him over to the dining room, even though Danny probably knew how to get there by now. “Thank you, Father.”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>Danny stared down with dull eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Stop. Stop talking, please—</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Go on, <em>thank Him</em>.</strong>
</p><p>“You do so much for me, Father,” Danny said, void of inflection. “Dressing my wounds, feeding me, telling me I’m perfect and reminding me I need you.”</p><p>Danny tried to bite his tongue but making direct physical contact with the ring on Vlad’s hand drained him.</p><p>“I simply wish I could… do more…”</p><p>Stumble.</p><p>Caught.</p><p>“It’s okay, Badger. You are your own reward.” Vlad nipped at his ear and Danny wanted more than anything to dive into the static, but he needed to stay alert. “I adore you.”</p><p>“I adore you too.”</p><p>Kiss to the forehead, then temple, then jaw.</p><p>“I adore you most.” Harsh squeeze of the face. “I’m the only one that will love you this deeply. Remember that. Without me, you are nothing.”</p><p>“I am nothing without you, Father.”</p><p>Danny couldn’t take it anymore. He sunk under the static until Vlad’s voice was a mumbled frequency and every movement of his body was beyond him, left only to what Vlad willed the stones to will Danny’s empty body to do.</p><p>
  <strong>Cherish <em>Him</em> adore <em>Him</em> <em>He</em> is everything.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>...</strong>
</p><p>…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Batman clacked away at the Batcave keyboard, looking for descriptions matching the enemies from Thursday night’s Wayne Tech heist.</p><p><em>Young boy with white hair and red eyes in a spandex suit with an older man with fangs, blue skin, and vampire attire</em>.</p><p>He searched up different key words and phrases in different ways until something caught his eye.</p><p>Rapid pattering against the keys as Batman got more and more specific using words that popped up. And there it was. Three articles from a small town in Michigan caught his attention.</p><p>“Ghost Boy clarifies name: New Hero Danny Phantom”</p><p>“Wisconsin Ghost spotted near local high school”</p><p>“Danny Phantom missing after Fentonworks’ fatal accident”</p><p>“<em>You see, poor Daniel came home one day to find out his parents didn’t notice a gas leak before welding…</em>”</p><p>Batman brought up two images of Daniel Fenton.</p><p>“…What?”</p><p>His eyes were blue as he smiled, hugged by his family in one of the article’s photos.</p><p>The image of Daniel supported by Masters’ as he struggled to stand, eyes dull and…</p><p>Red.</p><p>“<em>Hypnotherapy was quite effective for a while. I should see if there are any hypnotherapists nearby that can help him.</em>”</p><p>Batman filed away the information and looked up more information on Phantom. The image on the “Ghost Boy” article showed an awkward but willing boy with white hair and unnaturally bright green eyes, clasping a thermos closely. He zoomed in. A Fentonworks logo.</p><p>The article noting Phantom’s disappearance after the gas leak, aside from a theory that perhaps Phantom’s business was completed or that he was looking after Daniel Fenton, had another picture.</p><p>“Last shot of Phantom before his disappearance.”</p><p>His eyes were red there, too. Batman placed the images of Fenton and Phantom side-by-side and smacked his forehead.</p><p>Same kid.</p><p>Batman scurried through the rest of the articles. Confused public opinion, some wonderful actions, some unsavory (like attacking the mayor or committing a robbery, but his eyes were red in the latter).</p><p>“What’s this kid doing with that other creature?”</p><p>
  <em>Search results: “Wisconsin Ghost” Amity</em>
</p><p>Same appearance as the culprit from Thursday.</p><p>
  <em>Those two had a clear rivalry in the rest of the evidence. What happened?</em>
</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Being under the gem’s full influence was like taking a long nap while awake. Danny couldn’t understand input, talk, move, or think or feel outside of small, basic things like his name, Vlad’s name, and <em>tired</em>.</p><p>He’d found the deeper he sinks into the static and red, the harder it was to come out of it. He tried to at least be at a constant paddle or float. Not fighting, but not giving in completely.</p><p>Hypnosis is a little painful after a while, like a pinched nerve.</p><p>Giving in was like putting a heat pad. Waiting too long to surface back up was like falling asleep with a heat pad on bare skin. A burn waiting to happen.</p><p>Danny sunk to the murky depths, hollow. Weighed down by the heaviness around him.</p><p>
  <strong>It hurts less when you’re like this. Stay like this forever.</strong>
</p><p>Sweet and thick like honey, that suggestion was.</p><p>
  <strong>Succumb.</strong>
</p><p>Danny closed his eyes and forgot all feeling for a moment before a cold pit drilled into his chest.</p><p><em>This isn’t right. I can’t give in</em>.</p><p>Danny’s struggles were met with the privilege of seeing the window facing the gardens. Within the smog of Gotham and the <em>red red red </em>of the gem and Vlad’s presence, the green of the dark leaves and the pops of white the flowers provided were like a break. A break that wouldn’t drown him completely in static and promises of eternal rest.</p><p>Danny laid his fingers against the cool glass, exhaling lightly.</p><p>He wondered if he missed anything important the night before. He slumped against the window and watched the way his breath fogged the window up slightly. That was his doing, not anyone else’s command. Proof that he was there with a few drops of autonomy.</p><p>
  <strong>He’s calling you.</strong>
</p><p>Danny followed the volume of the whispers until he stood in front of Vlad. Vlad who was putting on an apron and gesturing for Danny to put one on, too.</p><p>“A bonding activity.”</p><p>
  <em>We’ve bonded enough. Let me disentangle myself from you. Please.</em>
</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Jazz had never liked raisins. She compared the terror of finding out the chocolate chip cookie you grabbed was oatmeal raisin akin to having someone not tell you they already used up all the hot water.</p><p>Danny teared up as he added the raisins to the batter.</p><p>
  <strong>Forget about her. Forget about everyone but <em>Him</em>. Give in.</strong>
</p><p>“Badger?”</p><p>Danny sniffled and used the wooden spoon to mix in the raisins, unable to use his hands because of the bandages.</p><p>“Badger, what’s wrong? Don’t you like baking with Father?”</p><p>Danny dropped his head and leaned into Vlad, staring straight ahead as tears traveled down his cheeks.</p><p>“Are we adding cinnamon?” his voice wavered, but Vlad smiled and nuzzled Danny’s head, either not noticing or ignoring how Danny clenched all his muscles at the gesture.</p><p>“Silly little <em>useless</em> thing, of course we are!”</p><p>Danny forced himself to smile.</p><p>“Good.” He handed the bowl to Vlad. “Please combine this. I can’t get food particles under my bandages.” Vlad’s gaze softened as he took the bowl before ruffling Danny’s hair.</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Danny hooked his arms around Vlad, pressing against his back and staring off into space as the man combined the batter thoroughly.</p><p>
  <strong>Warm and gentle.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Warm and gentle.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Forgiving.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Forgiving.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Everything.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Everything.</em>
</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>The cookies tasted just fine. Danny brushed his fingers against the hot tray, burning his fingertips. Still, he couldn’t move them. He felt something when his fingers burned like this.</p><p><em>Awake</em>.</p><p>Danny looked at the burn in fascination as his skin was bright pink and slightly swollen, hurt by even the breeze of the air conditioner. Danny split another cookie in two.</p><p>
  <em>Does Dick like raisins?</em>
</p><p>“Can I bring these to school on Monday?”</p><p>“Sure thing, son.”</p><p>Danny smiled genuinely and pressed his palm against the baking tray, reveling in being awake and having the incentive to make just one choice and—</p><p><em>“Daniel!”</em> Vlad ripped Danny’s hand away from the tray and submerged in under running water immediately. “Are you trying to damage yourself? I—” A piercing glare. “Oh, we can’t have that.” Vlad’s eyes flashed red and Danny instantly hung his head and dropped the hand not being held by Vlad. Vlad’s fists shook with fury. “I’ve been so patient, Daniel, but you just keep damaging yourself. Let me take care of you,” the man seethed.</p><p>Danny’s heart raced and he swayed on his heels.</p><p>“Are you listening to me?”</p><p>No response.</p><p>“Daniel: apologize. Don’t make me punish you.”</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>“Daniel,” Vlad warned, cupping Danny’s face violently and— “Oh, dear. You should have said something. You’re a mess. I still have to punish you, though.”</p><p>Vlad closed the tap and removed their aprons. He wiped away the drool dripping out of Danny’s mouth from the (too strong mind control, knocking Danny out of his mind immediately) disobedient child. He carried Danny and took no care to keep his head from lolling and twisting at angles concerning for a human.</p><p>Danny’s body was slammed onto the bed. Vlad sighed and removed Danny’s shirt and sweater. He traced the myriad of scars on the boy.</p><p>“Why must something be perfect be so petulant and useless?” he wondered. “Oh well. Remember Daniel, I’ll tell you what you did wrong.”</p><p>Drool leaked out again, Danny’s limbs not even twitching. Vlad laid his hands on Danny’s bare chest, upset at the lack of shivering and flinching.</p><p>“Come back here, Daniel. No spacing out during punishment, remember?”</p><p>Danny didn’t even blink, staring off at some random spot in the ceiling. Vlad grit his teeth and wrung his hands tightly around the boy’s fragile neck.</p><p>“When I speak, <em>you answer me</em>.”</p><p>It took almost a minute for Danny’s body to respond, choking on drool and reaching wildly for his neck to free his airways, and now <em>good,</em> Danny’s eyes locked on Vlad’s, wide and unblinking, shiny with burning tears.</p><p>“No spacing out during punishment.”</p><p>Danny accidentally gargled his saliva before swallowing it and panting.</p><p>“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry,”</p><p>“Are you really?”</p><p>“Please forgive me.”</p><p>“Yes or no.”</p><p>“Yes, yes I’m sorry,” Danny pleaded, digging himself deeper into the mattress. “Punish me for my misdeeds.”</p><p>
  <em>What am I saying stop stop stop</em>
</p><p>“First, you burned your hand and burned it again instead of asking for aid.” Vlad brushed strands out of Danny’s forehead and wiped up his tears, licking them. “You fought back. I saw your eyes.” Danny bucked his hips as Vlad roamed his chest. “You didn’t listen to me and forced me to use hypnotic force,” Danny bit his lips to keep in noises, “you were unresponsive. I even had to strangle you, dear boy. That hurt me so much to do. I’ll have to punish you for longer than I thought today.”</p><p>Vlad rested his sharp chin on Danny’s stomach, cutting into him with his cold gaze.</p><p>“Not that I mind. And neither do you. This punishment is out of love. Cherish it.”</p><p>Eyes duller and duller and duller, tears still falling.</p><p>“Father’s punishment is out of love and I cherish it.”</p><p>“Good boy.”</p><p>Danny didn’t nod or say anything in response, listening to the whispering gems to both get out of the moment and not visibly “space out” and make it worse for himself.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>The Wisconsin Ghost, as Amity locals had called it, seemed to have a different name that both it and others of its species referred to him as.</p><p>Vlad Plasmius.</p><p>Batman took in every detail of information and typed what seemed important.</p><p>“Would you like something to drink, Master Bruce?”</p><p>“No thank you Alfred. I need to focus.”</p><p>“Dinner will be done soon. Please come upstairs at that time and enjoy a meal with your son.”</p><p>“<em>Fine</em>.”</p><p>Batman encrypted the files and sat back in his chair, looking at the now empty screen of the Batcave.</p><p>He needed to talk to Danny personally.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Danny: *is so overwhelmed by direct and intense hypnosis that he practically loses consciousness on the spot*<br/>Vlad: you should have say something<br/>.<br/>hope bats doesnt fuck this up</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I need to talk to your new friend Danny as soon as possible.”</p><p>Dick’s grip on his fork loosened. “You found something?”</p><p>“I’ll tell you later.”</p><p>“But—!”</p><p>“Dick, I promise,” Bruce said softly. “I need to make sure I have my information right before I say something that may worry you.” Dick pushed around the food on his plate and sighed.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>“So, do you think that perhaps you could ‘just so happen’ to be hosting a sleepover since a while ago with friends and invite Danny as well?”</p><p>“You underestimate me and my party planning abilities.” A polite cough made Dick turn around sheepishly. “Alfred’s party planning abilities. Plus me.”</p><p>“Good. If your friend is in danger, I will try my hardest to ensure his safety.”</p><p>“I know you will.”</p><p>“Master Bruce, Master Richard, your food will get cold. Talk later.” The two vigilantes groaned.</p><p>“<em>Fine</em>,” they sighed in unison, then covered up a laugh. Alfred “coughed” into his handkerchief.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“A sleepover?” Danny adjusted his backpack awkwardly. “You don’t even really know me that well.”</p><p>“What better place to start than a sleepover, then? I’d been meaning to ask you since last week but I didn’t want to scare you off.” Danny shrugged and gazed off. Dick’s smile faltered.</p><p>“At what time is it? How many other people are going?”</p><p>Danny had no right to see a grin that wide. Youthful and innocent and <em>I want nothing bad to happen to you ever</em>. Dick rattled off about his friends, Barbara and that friend from another city.</p><p>Friday night at around five until Saturday noon.</p><p>“There’ll be games.”</p><p>“I’ll ask Father.”</p><p>
  <em>What am I doing?</em>
</p><p>“Oh, also.” Danny reached into his bag and burrowed around in it, ignoring the way the plasters on his fingertips caught the edge of folders and a binder. He took out the bag and held out its contents pitifully. “It’s a little crushed and two days old but Father and I made these on Saturday and I wanted to bring some for you.”</p><p>“Is this chocolate chip?”</p><p>Danny closed his bag and shook his head. “No, oatmeal raisin.” Dick pouted but opened the bag anyway, taking half a cookie in a single bite. Danny wrung his sore fingers together.</p><p>“It’s good,” Dick says with a smile. “Granted, Alfred— you remember him right?— makes really good chocolate chip cookies. You’ll have to try them at the sleepover.” Danny fidgeted with his tie.</p><p>“Yeah.” The homeroom bell rung and the two got seated.</p><p>Lunch was uneventful outside of Barbara asking Danny if he’d be going to the sleepover and Dick pressuring Barbara to take a bite of Danny’s cookie because <em>Babs he’s a great baker</em>.</p><p>“It’s actually very good,” Barbara said to herself. “I don’t even like raisins what the heck.”</p><p>“Father is a great baker,” Danny said, unable to stop the praise the gem had been demanding of him since the cookies were first mentioned. “I just helped.”</p><p>“Great helper,” Dick said with a shrug, eating the last of the cookies. Just like that, lunch finished.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“A sleepover?” Vlad grimaced. “Aren’t you a little old for that kind of thing now?” Danny flinched.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>He’s</em>
  </strong>
  <strong> right spend all your time with <em>Him</em> it’s where you belong.</strong>
</p><p>“I-It’s a group of people. We’re just freshmen.”</p><p>Vlad pressed onto the bruises of where Danny was strangled on Saturday, making the boy’s breath catch.</p><p>“Well, son, remember you would be a sophomore if you weren’t such a mess.” Danny bowed his head.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>Vlad was silent for a long time before crouching to be eye level with Danny and cupping Danny’s face. He ghosted his thumb over Danny’s lips. Danny’s lips were in a tight line. Vlad leaned in closer and Danny tensed. Vlad kissed over the bruises on his neck. He held Danny’s injured hands softly.</p><p>“You are precious, however,” Vlad mused. “I suppose all treasured possessions should have their way once in a while.” Vlad trailed his hands down Danny’s arm and rested on his waist. He rested his head against Danny’s chest and sighed. “Are you avoiding me, Daniel? Is that why you wish to go?”</p><p>Danny quivered.</p><p>“No, never. I need you.”</p><p>“Then why go to the party? If you need me?” Vlad smiled to himself as Danny trembled, struggling with the situation. “Wouldn’t you rather stay with Father? You thanked me but this isn’t very grateful of you.”</p><p>Danny’s eyes were hot.</p><p>
  <strong>You’re awful. Stay here. Forever.</strong>
</p><p>“I…”</p><p>Vlad peered up at him, massaging Danny’s waist. Danny stared straight ahead.</p><p>
  <em>I want to go but I’m unsure about it now… What changed?</em>
</p><p>“You?” Vlad prompted.</p><p>Danny hugged Vlad and buried his head into Vlad’s hair, trying not to let a single tear escape.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay, Badger—”</p><p>“I’m sorry we’ll be apart for so long during the sleepover, but after that we can spend all the time you want together.”</p><p>Vlad fumed. Still, he trailed his fingers down to Danny’s hips, untucked his shirt, and dove his hands under the button-down. Danny shuddered.</p><p>“I suppose that’s alright.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“You’re welcome, Daniel.”</p><p>“Th-thank you, Father.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Bruce opted to ask Danny about Vlad as Bruce instead of as Batman. He didn’t want to overwhelm the teenager and make him think he was in trouble. All he had to do was wait until Friday night and not let it consume his thoughts.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">Discussion Questions:<br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>In your journal, write your responses to these prompts using evidence from the text.</em>
</p><ol>
<li><strong><em> According to the speaker, what separates a human from a monster? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?</em></strong></li>
</ol><p>Danny held his pencil in between his blistered fingers.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“If you come back after school, I might change my mind,” Vlad admitted. “I’m so anxious thinking of you all alone like that. What will you do without me?”</p><p>Danny rearranged his necessities in his bag. A DALV co. drawstring bag holding two changes of clothes, toiletries, a phone charger, an extra batch of cookies, and some first aid equipment.</p><p>It also held a tracker, not that Danny needed to know.</p><p>“Father, take today to relax. Don’t worry about me.” Dull eyes gave him a blank smile. “I adore you.”</p><p>“I adore you too, Little Badger. Now go to school; you don’t want to be late.”</p><p>The bag fit in the locker quite easily.</p><p>Dick entered homeroom fifteen seconds before the tardy bell, not giving the two enough time to talk. Still, Dick smiled at him.</p><p>Dick gave Danny a single ravioli during lunch even while the latter insisted he had lunch.</p><p>“Hey, I have my things. I can just… go with you after school, right?”</p><p>“Sure thing,” Dick said. Danny relaxed and nodded.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>The gem was hard to ignore, especially as it touched his skin with not even a button down shirt collar to create a thin barrier. It burned his skin. Still, Danny changed into pajamas and fuzzy socks and used the large bathroom counter to reorganize his belongings. His school uniform was folded neatly at the bottom, then his change of clothes, and then he toiletries. He carried his school shoes in on hand and held the cookie container closer to his chest with the other. He placed his bag near Barbara’s and his shoes under it.</p><p>Alfred was preparing dinner and Dick was pacing near the door in sweatpants and a worn rock band shirt. Barbara sifted through DVDs and games to find the perfect combination of things to do during the party. She had tied her hair into an off-centered ponytail. It suited her.</p><p>Danny opened the container of cookies and set it on the coffee table with the other assortment of snacks. Chocolate chip cookies were still baking. The air smelled nice. The Manor was warm in a nice way. Danny smiled to himself and sat on the couch,</p><p>
  <em>This is pleasant.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At some point, Barbara invited Danny to help pick movies. He didn’t really know any of them, but simply being included was fun in it of itself. Having his input change things around him. Meanwhile, Dick went between gathering an incredible amount of blankets and asking Alfred about food.</p><p>The doorbell rung and Dick ran over to it, grinning.</p><p>“Walls! You’re here!”</p><p>Barbara groaned and Danny craned his neck to see.</p><p>A redhead with wild hair like he <em>ran</em> here and a multitude of freckles stood in the doorway with a duffel bag and a huge smile, full of life. <em>Wally, Dick’s friend from another city.</em> Even though Wally probably couldn’t see him, Danny waved.</p><p>“Alfred, when will the cookies be done? I’m <em>starving</em>.”</p><p>Danny put down the two boxes of board games he was holding for Barbara to keep staring at the boy.</p><p>“Young Wallace, relax. It will be soon enough. As well as a proper <em>dinner</em>, young man.” Dick cackled as Wally grumbled before seemingly remembering something.</p><p>“Hey, where’s your new friend?”</p><p>Danny ducked to hide, then stood up and waved again. Dick pointed and Wally ran over in the speed of a <em>blink</em>.</p><p>“Hey! I’m Wally, nice you meet you. Dickhead’s bestie. Danny, right? You bake?” Wally extended his hand to shake it, but Danny couldn’t will himself to move, instead trying to smile and look okay. “Hey Dick, I don’t think your friend likes me.”</p><p>“…u.” Wally whipped his head around to face Danny again. Danny flinched.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“N-nice. Meet. You.”</p><p>
  <strong>You’re really aiming to make everyone but <em>Him</em> see you as stupid, aren’t you?</strong>
</p><p>Danny wrung his hands and tried not to pick at the scabs.</p><p>Dick tapped Wally’s shoulder and mouthed something to him Danny couldn’t see. Damn tall people.</p><p>“Oh!” Wince. “Oh,” Wally tried again, softer. “Sorry. I get excited and speak super loud and run around. Anyway, my name is Wally West.”</p><p>“Danny.” <em>Stop trembling.</em></p><p>“Okay, so just a tip: if Dick starts climbing public or private property, don’t worry for his safety. He’s a damn monkey, honestly.”</p><p>“I hear that!”</p><p>“He’s also a huge snoop.” Wally settled down on the couch. “Hey Babs, what movies do we have?”</p><p>“Well, since you’re a coward, we can’t watch <em>Evil Collision</em>, so Danny and I found some romcoms.”</p><p>Danny stood awkwardly watching everyone’s dynamic. The trio laughed and teased and made faces at each other, conversation moving at a pace Danny couldn’t keep with or enter. His neck burned with every rapid heartbeat.</p><p>
  <em>Outsider outsider outsider. Shouldn’t be here.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Call home, call home. Dive into <em>His</em> arms. Just leave.</strong>
</p><p>While Danny fought for every breath in the living room, Alfred finished preparing the food and called the teenagers over. Danny started to will himself to follow them when a hand clasped on his shoulder and <em>you beautiful little <strong>pathetic</strong> thing.</em></p><p>“Danny, right? Dick talks a lot about you.” Bruce Wayne’s smile was easy, but his hand was heavy on his shoulder.</p><p>
  <em>He doesn’t like to share I’m going to get in so much trouble.</em>
</p><p>“I was hoping to talk to you after you eat. Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong, I just like knowing who my kid is talking about so much.”</p><p>
  <em>“I’m finally getting to know you, Daniel.”</em>
</p><p>“Danny! Over here, the cookies, before Walrus here eats them all.” Danny snapped his gaze over to Barbara.</p><p>“Talk to you later, Danny.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>Danny’s legs gave out just as he sat down, a plate already loaded up for him with a nicely cut sandwich and water and three chocolate chip cookies. He couldn’t taste much of the sandwich, still trying to calm down from (what? Having your friend’s adopted dad touch your shoulder? <em>Weak weak weak</em>) his anxiety, and only after gulping half the cup of water did he reach for a cookie. He took a bite and <em>this has to be magic</em>.</p><p>“You can’t share the recipe?” Danny asked, dull red eyes swallowing the room with a pleading look. Alfred shook his head. “I see. They’re delicious.” Danny put the rest of his cookie down and scratched his neck with his unburnt hand. “Kinda feel silly for bringing cookies as well. They don’t compare to these at all.”</p><p>“You’re talking chocolate versus raisin,” Dick said. “But in terms of cookies as a general thing? Yours really deliver the aster.”</p><p>“Dick, <em>stop</em>, the English language can’t take that kind of tampering.” Despite her comment, Barbara was smiling.</p><p>“It was already broken!”</p><p>Danny finished his cookies and his water, then stood up. Bruce Wayne was already there, smile with his arms behind his back. At seeing Danny’s apprehension, he relaxed his hands at his sides and gestured for Danny to follow.</p><p>“Oh, Bruce!” Dick said as he got the popcorn bowls ready. “Already met Danny. Don’t worry, we’ll wait for you before we start any movies, Danny. See you soon!”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny twisted his fingers tightly, peeling the last few of the popped blisters. He refused to look Bruce Wayne in the eyes. He couldn’t.</p><p>“So, Dick has told me you’re good at baking,” he starts.</p><p>
  <strong>No no no <em>He</em> is the one good at everything say something defend <em>Him</em>.</strong>
</p><p>“I just helped. Father did most of it.” His voice shook with every word and Danny wanted more than anything to scratch his face and go home. “I’m glad he liked them. There are some downstairs.”</p><p>Bruce Wayne just smiled before looking a little somber.</p><p>“Danny.” Danny wrapped his arms around himself. “Dick has been worried about you.”</p><p><em>I can’t stay here</em>.</p><p>Danny couldn’t move a muscle.</p><p>“And since you’re Dick’s dear friend, I’m also worried about you. I see you’re a very nice kid.”</p><p>
  <em>“You hide so many nice things under those baggy clothes of yours.”</em>
</p><p>“Despite not knowing Dick for long, you’ve really made an impact. Okay, this is between us, but he tried to make something by himself in the kitchen to gift you back for the cookies. I love Dick but that boy can only make cereal and milk.”</p><p>Danny didn’t laugh or chuckle or smile. He barely even blinked.</p><p>“So what I’m saying is, if you’re keeping quiet because you think no one would care, <em>we</em> care. You can always talk to us.”</p><p>
  <strong>That’s a lie. Only <em>He</em> cares. Don’t forget that. You’re useless without <em>Him</em>.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I know.</em>
</p><p>Danny curled up in the chair, squeezing himself into a ball. He looked at Bruce Wayne out of his peripheral.</p><p>“No one’s hurting me,” Danny finally managed to say. <em>Not in a way I don’t deserve</em>. “I have a bad habit of scratching myself if I don’t pay attention to what I’m doing.”</p><p>
  <em>Liar liar liar liar liar liar liar liar liar liarliarliarliarli—</em>
</p><p>Bruce Wayne sighed deeply. There were no hints of carelessness in neither his face nor his voice when he spoke again.</p><p>“Danny, I’m going to ask you some yes or no questions. Everything stays between us if you want it to.”</p><p>
  <em>“This is something only we can have. Only between you and me.”</em>
</p><p>“You’re from Michigan.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>“Amity Park, right?”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>
  <em>Why can’t I feel my hands? I can’t stop shaking.</em>
</p><p>“You’re fifteen years old.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>“You’re somehow half ghost and go by the alias of Danny Phantom.”</p><p>Danny cracked.</p><p>“Something happened and you’re working with ‘the Wisconsin Ghost,’ Vlad Plasmius.”</p><p>
  <em>Crack.</em>
</p><p>“That wound on your neck is from a bite, not a scratch.”</p><p>
  <em>Crack.</em>
</p><p>“Someone’s hurting you, but because he has powers, you feel like you can’t do anything.”</p><p>
  <em>Crack.</em>
</p><p>“Listen, Danny. The Justice League asked me about Vlad Masters, and if he’s hurting you, they can help. Okay?”</p><p>
  <em>SMASH.</em>
</p><p>Danny fell to the floor from the chair and pressed his palms into his eyes so hard he was sure he dislodged something. Or maybe not. Everything was on fire. The gem was screaming that simply being here was a betrayal and to go back to Vlad on his knees and apologize until his throat couldn’t work anymore.</p><p>
  <strong>SAY SOMETHING!</strong>
</p><p>“He’s not doing anything wrong,” Danny finally said, piecing himself together, still trembling, still burning.</p><p>
  <strong>Try harder. If something happens to <em>Him</em>, you die.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Is that so bad?</em>
</p><p>“The ghost or Masters?”</p><p>The necklace felt so much tighter with every breath.</p><p>“Danny,” Bruce Wayne spoke softly, crouching down onto the floor in an effort to stop dwarfing the teenager as if that would fix anything, “whatever happens, you’re not in trouble right now. None of this is your fault.”</p><p>
  <strong>Remember, <em>He’s</em> been giving you the world. Your uselessness and disobedience is why <em>He</em> has to hurt you. If something happens to <em>Him</em>, it’s all your fault.</strong>
</p><p>“I’m not trying to scare you.”</p><p>
  <em>Little late for that.</em>
</p><p>“But covering for him could get you in a lot of trouble.” Bruce Wayne shifted from a crouch to sitting on the floor. “Maybe it’s too much to talk about now.”</p><p>
  <em>Or ever.</em>
</p><p>A card is slid over from where Bruce Wayne sat. A business card.</p><p>“But if you feel like you need to talk to someone, Wayne Manor is always willing to listen.”</p><p>
  <strong>Don’t take it.</strong>
</p><p>Danny’s leaden limbs moved against the command, draining him. He looked at the business card— except… Danny turned it over, expecting company email and office hours.</p><p>Personal information. Danny clutched the card close to him and looked Bruce Wayne in the eyes.</p><p>“Always. It doesn’t matter if you want to talk at three in the morning, we’ll listen.”</p><p>Bruce Wayne stood up and offered his hand to Danny.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>He</em>
  </strong>
  <strong> doesn’t like to share.</strong>
</p><p>Danny took his hand and stood up carefully, hiding the card under his sleeve.</p><p>“Go back to your sleepover. Sorry to take you from your friends for so long.”</p><p>“It’s okay.”</p><p>“And Danny?”</p><p>Stare.</p><p>“Thank you for being my son’s friend. Go have fun.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“The cookies are great!” Wally said.</p><p>The group kept true to their word, keeping the first movie in root menu while playing some card game. Barbara shuffled the cards and put them aside before grabbing the remote and pressing play. She scooted away from Dick and gestured to the space for Danny to sit. Danny slipped the contact card into his bag and then sat in between Barbara and Dick.</p><p>The talk didn’t leave his mind, but he tried his best to pay attention to the movie and eat popcorn.</p><p>Barbara kept holding in laughs at cheesier parts of the movie while Wally leaned forward with shiny eyes and a <em>this is such a cute movie</em>.</p><p>Dick, on the other hand, was throwing popcorn in the air and catching it in his mouth.</p><p>Chaos erupted when the lead couple kissed. Barbara snorted, Dick cheered, and Wally started <em>clapping</em>. Unsure what to do, Danny also clapped, causing all four teenagers to start clapping at the kiss with varying degrees of intensity. Danny’s scabs and blisters hurt when he clapped, but he didn’t mind.</p><p>
  <em>I guess being in the moment isn’t always bad, if the moment can be like this.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny nibbled on chips while Barbara shuffled the cards.</p><p>“I’m confused,” Danny mumbled, staring at the diagram Dick drew.</p><p>“Well, okay, so technically this is just a good ole’ game of Crazy Eights— <em>Uno</em> for fancy people,” Wally started. “What makes it fun is that if you need to draw from the deck you need to ask a question to the person who goes after you or you lose a turn. The symbol is the type of question.”</p><p>“It sounds stupid as hell but it’s actually really fun,” Barbara said once she dealt out the cards. “Alphabetical order, so me, Danny, Dick, Wally.”</p><p>“Reverse alphabetical order,” Wally said.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Ugh, <em>fine</em>. Only because as redheads we stand together undivided.”</p><p>“Ew. Anyway!” Barbara placed down her card and gestured for Danny to match it. He did, and then Dick glared at the pile and looked at the diagram.</p><p>“Hey Walls, would you rather give up all drinks except for water or give up eating anything that was cooked in an oven?”</p><p>“Water,” Wally answered immediately. Dick shrugged and placed his card down. Wally added to it, then Barbara, and…</p><p>“What do I do?” Danny squinted at the diagram. “Okay, so a spade… a <em>what’s your favorite</em> question. Dick, what’s your favorite food?”</p><p>“Milk chocolate.”</p><p>They kept going for a while, and by the time Wally won and they decided to watch another movie Danny had learned that: Barbara can’t do a Dutch braid, whatever that means, Wally <em>can</em> do a Dutch braid, Barbara would rather eat mud than a bowl of raisins, and that Dick almost caught Wayne Manor on fire trying to make eggs, among other things.</p><p>Danny had also admitted he hated toast, loved milkshakes, and that he loved space.</p><p>Among other things.</p><p>The movie started out okay, if somewhat boring. Danny wasn’t even really paying attention, busy eating chips and nibbling on whatever bits of cookies Wally hadn’t stuffed down his mouth.</p><p>“But you’re <em>mine</em>,” cried out the man on the screen, drenched in rain and holding a box. “We’re perfect together, right?”</p><p>
  <em>“Because you’re mine, Daniel, easy as that.”</em>
</p><p>Danny covered his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut.</p><p>“What will I do without you?”</p><p>
  <em>“What will you do without me, Badger?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Die.”</em>
</p><p>Danny bit into his still healing hands, clenching his jaw so hard it hurt.</p><p>
  <em>“You’re perfect. Delectable.”</em>
</p><p>His skin burned. He couldn’t breathe. His neck pulsed in pain, a tight memory of hands pressing in.</p><p>
  <em>“No spacing out.”</em>
</p><p>“I hate this scene so much… Danny?” The teenagers looked at Danny and were <em>getting too close too close</em>. “Danny are you okay?”</p><p>“He’s biting his hands again.”</p><p>“Is he having a panic attack?”</p><p>“Get water.”</p><p>“Danny.”</p><p>
  <em>Away.</em>
</p><p>“Danny, c’mon man, breathe.” Wally took in a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled. “Like this, okay? C’mon.”</p><p>
  <em>In… Hold… Out.</em>
</p><p>Danny released his palm and used the back of his hand to wipe his face while sobbing.</p><p>“You’re doing great. Just keep breathing. It’s okay.”</p><p>
  <em>It’s never going to be okay.</em>
</p><p>“Here, have some water.”</p><p>He spilled a good amount down his sweater, not that it mattered.</p><p>Danny was sweating by the time he got his breathing under control. Wally started to reach out before stopping himself and letting his hand plop down on his lap. Barbara placed another cup of water onto the coffee table in front of Danny. Dick held out a towel.</p><p>It was no use for the most part: the front of his sweater was dry enough that he couldn’t wring it out, but too wet to be comfortable.</p><p>“I could probably get a shirt that would fit you,” Dick said. Danny shrugged and kept his gaze on the floor.</p><p>Dick came back with a white shirt that would probably be a little short on Danny but otherwise fine. Danny sighed and went to change. It was only then that he noticed the problem.</p><p>
  <em>It doesn’t matter. I’ve already ruined everything.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Just leave.</strong>
</p><p>Danny ignored the suggestion and laid his sweater against the back of an armchair to dry. He crossed his arms and then hugged himself before crossing them again. He sighed and walked over to the couch, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from Wally’s direction and Barbara’s calculating, concerned expression and Dick’s grim face.</p><p>“…Let’s watch another movie,” Barbara said, ejecting the DVD and motioning for Wally to help.</p><p>Leaving Dick with Danny. Danny rubbed his temples and buried his face in his knees. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Danny repeated. <em>I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry.</em> “Didn’t mean to freak out.”</p><p>“You couldn’t help it. Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault.”</p><p>Shrug.</p><p>“And I’m sorry you have to see my arms.”</p><p>“Don’t apologize. Here, drink some water.”</p><p>
  <em>He hates me. They all do.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>There’s only one person that doesn’t hate you. Go.</strong>
</p><p>Danny took a sip of water and held the cup in his hands. He ran his hand through his hair and tried not to start crying again.</p><p>
  <em>I’m so sorry.</em>
</p><p>He tipped his head back to get more water, but nothing came out. He looked at it and placed it back on the coffee table.</p><p><em>Froze the damn thing.</em> Danny stared at his trembling fingers and the dark pink bite mark. He wondered what the one on his neck looked like and shuddered.</p><p>“Sh-should I go?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Barbara squeezed the DVD cases so hard her fingers were white.</p><p>“I should probably go,” Danny restated.</p><p>“No,” Dick said. “If you’re worried about the movies, we could play something or chat.”</p><p>“I’ve already ruined everything.”</p><p>“You haven’t <em>ruined</em> anything,” Barbara said.</p><p>“I’d rather this night be <em>‘ruined,’”</em> Dick formed air quotes, “than have you suffer quietly. You had a <em>panic attack</em>, no one controls those.”</p><p>“You don’t just get mad at people for panic attacks, y’know?” Wally said.</p><p>Danny ghosted his fingers over the gem and thought.</p><p>“But… Father does that all the time?”</p><p>
  <em>Why are they looking at me like that?</em>
</p><p>“He gets mad at you over them?” Dick asked carefully. Danny shrugged and stared at the floor.</p><p>“They’re usually my fault.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>
  <strong>You’re tainting <em>His</em> name, fix it.</strong>
</p><p>“He’s not wrong… he says I’m a mess and that I’m useless when I have them and that’s why I need him to survive. Is that not what he’s supposed to say?”</p><p>Dick clenched his fists and shook. Wally looked like he was counting, and Barbara was staring into Danny’s soul.</p><p>“I should go,” Danny said again, unsure of what else to do.</p><p>“No, it’s…” Dick sighed and sagged his shoulders. “At least let Alfred fix your hand before you go.”</p><p><em>It’s the least I can do</em>.</p><p>“Okay.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>No matter how many times Danny got injured, his least favorite part was cleaning the wound. The ethanol stung his hand and he grit his teeth as Alfred apologized for the inconvenience and cleaned his hand. He applied an antiseptic and wrapped it tightly and tied it off neatly. Danny flexed his hand a few times experimentally and then held it close to his chest.</p><p>“Young Danny, if I may so intrude, why do you want to leave?” Alfred’s question made Danny’s gaze snap up to meet him. Danny shrugged.</p><p>“I feel like I ruined the party. I don’t want to waste people’s time by making them worry about me.”</p><p>“Would it not worry your friends more if you left, leaving them unaware of your emotional well-being?” Alfred’s eyes shone with wisdom. Danny started picking a scab before the elderly butler stopped him. “Think it over. If you’d still like to leave, I will drive you.”</p><p>Danny shook his head.</p><p>“No, I’ll stay. It’s the least I can do.” Alfred smiled and closed the first aid kit.</p><p>“I’ll inform Master Bruce and Master Dick of your decision.”</p><p>Danny was greeted to a mug of hot chocolate when he gathered up his courage to face the rest of the group. Dick held it out with a small, worried smile, and Barbara patted the couch.</p><p>Wally held a game of Snakes and Ladders. Danny sat on the couch and took a sip of the hot chocolate. Delicious.</p><p>They played in silence for the most part, making small talk about school and the game.</p><p>“My sister—” Danny choked back a whimper— “she had a version of Chutes and Ladders that made you go from 97 to 5 if you landed on it.”</p><p>“Yikes,” Barbara said, sliding her piece up a ladder.</p><p>Danny finished his hot chocolate and put it aside. He wasn’t trembling anymore, just exhausted. He yawned deeply.</p><p>Wally whined as his piece fell from square 75 all the way back to 40.</p><p>“Are you tired, Danny?” Dick asked. Danny made a so-so gesture. “Yeah, I’m a little tired too. Everyone chill with sleeping after we finish this game?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Danny won, smiling tiredly as he was congratulated on his victory. They all brushed their teeth and Wally changed into pajamas. Dick curled up on an armchair with a bedsheet, Barbara settled down on the couch they had all been on, Wally plopped down on the floor and fell asleep practically immediately, and Danny tried to relax on a recliner.</p><p>He was still wide awake after the lights were turned off, staring at the ceiling and counting his breaths. Facing the reality of Vlad’s insults cold shoulders after panic attacks not being the right thing to do had been an unpleasant shock to his system, and he kept thinking.</p><p>Would Vlad ever let him visit this friends in Amity or his family’s graves? He heard Fentonworks had been demolished and the portal shut down with a small plot of flowers growing in honor of the Fenton family.</p><p>Would Danny ever get his last name again?</p><p>
  <em>“I’m your past, present, and future now, Daniel,” Vlad had sighed. “Stop thinking about them.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I just want to say goodbye.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re mine now and will do as I say.”</em>
</p><p>Danny traced the myriad of scars on his arms, sighing at the knowledge some were still bright pink and elevated. Ugly to look at.</p><p>
  <em>“Look at you; to anyone else you’re disgusting. Only I will ever want you, Badger. Cherish that.”</em>
</p><p>Danny wiped his face again and huddled the blanket closer to his form and tried his absolute best to fall asleep.</p><p>It took him about half an hour to finally sleep, squeezing the sheets and shivering, a few tears leaving his eyes.</p><p>He woke up with a start at the sound of footsteps and tried to hide under the blanket, forgetting where he was for a moment. The footsteps stopped and Danny squeezed his eyes shut and listened.</p><p>Hot water pouring.</p><p>
  <em>What?</em>
</p><p>Danny held the blanket close to him like a cape and tip toed over to the source of the noise, seeing Bruce Wayne in sweatpants and a tank top making himself coffee. Danny watched Bruce Wayne tense at being watched and didn’t give Danny time to turn invisible before turning around. The suspicious glare disappeared from his face and turned into a bashful smile.</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” Bruce Wayne poured his coffee into a big black mug and Danny watched the steam. Danny shook his head. “Were you already awake?”</p><p>Shrug.</p><p>“Well, try to go back to sleep, you’re still young and it’s only four in the morning.”</p><p>Danny didn’t budge, still watching, still holding the blanket tightly. His throat burned.</p><p>“Would you like water or tea? I can get you some.”</p><p>“…That would be nice,” he mumbled.</p><p>Bruce Wayne set a glass of water in front of Danny and the two sat down across from each other. Bruce Wayne sipped his black coffee and looked intently at Danny, looking at the bandaged hand where Dick and Alfred had said Danny bit himself during a panic attack. Danny observed the table.</p><p>“You said you’d listen, right?” Danny said, holding the glass so tightly his fingers shook. Bruce Wayne perked up.</p><p>“Yes, I did. Do you want to talk?”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>Silence.</p><p>Danny slumped onto the table and stared at nothing in particular, red eyes bloodshot and exhausted.</p><p>“You let Dick keep his original last name?”</p><p>“Of course,” Bruce Wayne said, confused.</p><p>“Okay,” Danny said. He took a shaky sip of water. “That’s really nice of you.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t force anyone to take a last name they don’t want.”</p><p>Danny closed his eyes.</p><p>“Did Masters make you take his last name?”</p><p>“I’m his now,” Danny said casually, opening his eyes to glance at Bruce Wayne who was looking quite concerned. “What’s wrong, Mr. Wayne?”</p><p>“You’re not property, you’re a person,” he said. Telling the kid to call him Bruce wasn’t a priority. “Does Masters say or do things to make you think or feel you’re his?”</p><p>Danny shrugged awkwardly.</p><p>
  <strong>You <em>are His</em>.</strong>
</p><p>“I <em>am</em> his,” Danny said, not particularly liking the way it left his lips so easily. “That’s just how it is.”</p><p>Bruce Wayne took a deep breath and placed his half empty mug aside. Danny felt himself form goosebumps. He also felt eyes looking at his arms.</p><p>“Mostly mine,” he answered.</p><p>“Are some from Masters? Or from the ghost?”</p><p>
  <strong>No one gets it. They think <em>He’s</em> hurting you. It’s love.</strong>
</p><p>Danny didn’t reply, and that was all the response Bruce Wayne needed.</p><p>“Are Masters and Plasmius the same person?” he asked.</p><p>Danny froze and snapped his gaze up to him.</p><p>“<em>Don’t say it so loud</em>,” Danny hissed quietly. He looked around nervously, as if simply saying the entity’s name and identity was enough to summon the man.</p><p>“Right. Sorry.” Danny stood up and backed away.</p><p>
  <em>I shouldn’t have said anything.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>They’ll take <em>Him</em> away and you’ll be all alone and useless and dead. It’ll be all your fault.</strong>
</p><p>“Please forget I said anything.” Danny grinded his teeth against his knuckles, leaving them pink and sore. “Please don’t hurt him. He’s everything.”</p><p>Bruce Wayne’s eyes softened, but he didn’t reply.</p><p>And that was all the response Danny needed to leave the kitchen and almost trip over Wally in his rush. His legs gave out and he covered his face and held his breath.</p><p>
  <em>My life is going to fall apart.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>tw for slightly more graphic sexual abuse.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny changed and got ready before almost everyone, ready to go back to the mansion and beg for forgiveness. He poked at his breakfast, he shook, he charged his phone and texted Vlad to pick him up.</p><p>Danny had never hugged Vlad so tightly, much less where other people could see, startling the man. He mumbled apologies the whole ride home and once they got inside the mansion Danny got on his knees and clasped his hands together.</p><p>“I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“Daniel, please, I can’t stand your mumbling. Why are you groveling?”</p><p>“Please forgive me.”</p><p>“<em>Daniel</em>, when I ask something, you answer me.”</p><p>Danny trembled and tried to think of the thing that would not make Vlad kill him on the spot.</p><p>“I knew I shouldn’t have gone. I had a breakdown like you knew would happen. I’m sorry I doubted you.”</p><p>“Oh, Badger,” Vlad said sweetly, kneeling and holding Danny’s face gently. “I <em>told</em> you that you’re useless without me. Why didn’t you listen?” He planted a kiss on Danny’s forehead. “Perhaps you shouldn’t go to school on Monday. I don’t think you can handle it.”</p><p>“I’m so, <em>so</em> sorry, Father,” Danny cried. Vlad hugged him and rubbed his back.</p><p>“Silly little thing.” Vlad kissed the base of Danny’s neck and then bit the boy’s ear. “Come, let’s get you a bath and then you can rest.”</p><p>Danny nodded weakly.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny would never openly admit that he typically hated taking baths with Vlad in the room, not if there was a chance Vlad would find out. The man got into the bathtub with him and nestled the boy against his chest. He helped Danny scrub himself and let Danny try to help him back. Still, Vlad held Danny’s hands to make sure he still controlled how Danny washed him. Vlad caught Danny staring off with half-lidded eyes and clicked his tongue. He got an idea.</p><p>Danny’s eyes widened when he realized what Vlad was making him do. He made eye contact with Vlad but couldn’t bring himself to say anything.</p><p>“You said you wished you could do more for me,” Vlad shrugged, guiding Danny’s hands. Danny gulped and avoided looking down. “Aren’t you honored, cleaning Father so reverently?”</p><p>“Y-yes,” Danny choked out.</p><p>“And don’t worry Little Badger, I’ll do the same for you.”</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>“O-okay.”</p><p>“We don’t say ‘okay’ when Father will care for you. What do we say?”</p><p>“Th-Thank you, Father.” Danny squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to shake.</p><p>“Good boy.”</p><p>Danny shivered when it was Vlad’s turn, and the man laughed.</p><p>“You’re so cute and shy, son,” he said. He rubbed, making Danny squeal in surprise. “But you’re so dirty-minded. Father’s only washing you.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>Vlad planted a kiss on Danny’s lips and kept washing.</p><p> “See, Badger? Father takes care of you. There’s no need to be shy.”</p><p>“Thank you, Father.”</p><p>Vlad hugged Danny from behind and pressed his nose against the boy’s hair, sniffing him. Danny didn’t even notice himself relax into it. Once they dried off, Vlad put his hand on Danny’s shoulder.</p><p>“Put something warm on. Today is all about you, my Little Badger.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny put on a sweater and khakis and let Vlad tuck him into bed even though it was only two in the afternoon. Vlad kissed his forehead and smoothed out his hair. Danny closed his eyes.</p><p>“Take a nap, Daniel.”</p><p>Vlad played gently with Danny’s hair until the boy was asleep and smiled to himself.</p><p>“I adore you,” he said.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Dinner was taken to Danny’s room and Vlad gently woke up the tired teenager. Dull red eyes met him and Vlad’s heart skipped a beat when Danny actually <em>smiled</em> at him. Vlad helped his ward sit up and fed him. Vlad hummed to Danny and pressed a glass of water to his lips. Danny fell back asleep soon after.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>When Danny woke up on Sunday and realized he’d been allowed to sleep in, the worries melted from his mind. His friends got it all wrong. Vlad knew what he was doing. Danny had allowed others to warp his view of his Father and that wasn’t fair to him. He brushed his teeth, showered, and changed. He let the gem’s whispers lead him over to where Vlad was. Vlad who was making pancakes.</p><p>“Oh, Badger!” Vlad said. “You ruined the surprise. Oh well, come here and help me serve these pancakes up for us.”</p><p>“Yes, Father,” Danny said, hugging Vlad tightly and nuzzling into his shoulder. Although confused, Vlad did not fight it and sighed contently.</p><p>They ate in relative silence, Danny mumbling a <em>thank you</em> when Vlad said he plated the fruit on the pancakes very nicely and Vlad flipping the pages of the newspaper being the only real noises that filled the dining room.</p><p>
  <strong>Being with <em>Him</em> is the only thing you need, see?</strong>
</p><p>Danny did the dishes and nodded when Vlad told him to do his homework. He didn’t want to, wishing he could spend the whole day with Vlad who was clearly in a good mood, but he couldn’t fight a direct command from the most important person in the world even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t.</p><p>The calm lasted until about seven when Danny started to pack up to go to school the next day.</p><p>“You’re not going, remember? You can’t handle it.”</p><p>Danny closed his bag and cocked his head.</p><p>“Oh! Yes, Father, I remember now.” Danny placed his bag aside and hung his head low. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay. Honestly Daniel, what would you do without me?”</p><p>He should have said “die”. He <em>knew</em> the conversation by heart. But for some forsaken reason, he shrugged instead and looked down.</p><p>“Daniel, <em>what would you do without me?”</em> asked Vlad. It wasn’t just a question, but a demand for the correct response. But Danny couldn’t speak.</p><p>What <em>would</em> he do without Vlad? He needed the man to survive, but he wouldn’t just drop dead, right? He would… he would visit his family’s grave before he’d die from being unable to care for himself in any capacity.</p><p>Hands squeezed his shoulders tightly. Really tightly. And Vlad’s hands were glowing pink, burning his skin. Danny swallowed to keep the cry of pain inside him.</p><p>“Daniel. What do we say when Father asks what you do without him?”</p><p>“I-I…”</p><p>
  <strong>Say “die”.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>C’mon, say it.</em>
</p><p>Danny stared at the floor. “Die,” he muttered finally. Vlad clicked his tongue.</p><p>“I’m so patient with you, Daniel. I care for you. I cherish you. I let you go to that silly little get-together even though I despise sharing. And you can’t even answer the most basic question.” Hands roughly grabbed Danny’s face, forcing him to make eye contact. “Without me, you <em>die</em>. Do you understand? Without me, <em>no one</em> loves you. Do you understand that? I am the only person who could look at something as useless and worthless as you and adore it anyway.” Vlad’s eyes flashed red. “Do you understand me, Daniel?”</p><p>“Yes,” Danny said softly.</p><p>“Good.” Vlad wasn’t smiling, though. “We can’t even go a single weekend without me having to punish you. Come on.”</p><p>“In-in my room?”</p><p>“Are you talking back to me?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Then follow direct orders, <em>Daniel</em>.” Vlad mumbled the name like he hated it, crushing Danny and making him cry. “Oh, you’re such a mess, Daniel. You’re always like this.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Batman sat rigid from where he looked at the capture of the bug they had attached to Danny’s phone before the boy went home. It was on his phone’s camera, so he hadn’t noticed. It was insidious but necessary. Robin was pale, staring in wide-eyed horror.</p><p>“Robin, look away,” Batman said. Robin forced his eyes away from the screen and squeezed his fists.</p><p>“We can’t let him stay there,” Robin said. Batman frowned.</p><p>“I know. I just need to think of a plan.”</p><p>“We can do this, right?”</p><p>“You’ll be on a mission with the Team. This is too risky. I’ll get the League on this.”</p><p>“But he’s my friend!”</p><p>“And it would absolutely <em>shatter</em> him if you got hurt trying to help him, wouldn’t it?” Batman snapped. Robin clenched his jaw. “I’m sorry, Robin. Danny will be okay.”</p><p>“I hope so.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Good night.”</p><p>“G-Good night.” Once the door clicked shut, Danny let himself sob into his sleeve. He scratched at his face and his wrists. The necklace seethed at him for being so disobedient.</p><p>He wanted to stop feeling.</p><p>Danny showered afterwards, scrubbing his skin raw and getting ready to sleep on the floor. It had always been another bed. Not even his bed was safe anymore. He muffled his cries with his hands, trying to breathe. He couldn’t breathe.</p><p><em>I’m going to die</em>, Danny thought, squeezing his neck with one hand. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as when Vlad did it. Eventually, Danny settled into rocking back and forth in the fetal position and breathing like Wally told him. The thought of that day and what people tried to tell him about his situation led him right into weeping again, pulling at his own hair and <em>I’m going to die.</em></p><p>Danny doesn’t know how he managed to calm down. What he did know was that he needed the damn necklace to shut up already. It took way too many tries, but eventually he flung it off of him and let it rest on the floor a few feet away from him. It looked so harmless. Like a regular necklace and not one that muted his senses and wouldn’t let him think.</p><p>The room was dark, but also too bright. He could hear the air conditioner and the slight breeze and even the buzzing of the lights in the hallway. He felt his skin too much. The fabric rubbed it wrong. Everything was too much.</p><p>Danny put the necklace back on and waited for his senses to dull.</p><p>
  <em>I can’t keep doing this.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Then give in.</strong>
</p><p>Danny let himself sink.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“Wait, so you mean to tell me,” said Flash, “that Vlad Masters isn’t <em>just</em> a suspicious billionaire that has probably killed people to get money, but that he’s also half ghost.”</p><p>“And that he’s with another half ghost? Who is a teenager?” Superman added.</p><p>“That man is doing <em>what</em> to that kid?” Green Arrow seethed. Batman crossed his arms.</p><p>“Yes. Vlad Masters has a ghost form named Vlad Plasmius and has taken control over Danny Fenton or Danny Phantom. And yes, Green Arrow, you heard me right the first time.” Batman held his lips in a tight line, unwilling to obsess over what Masters had been doing to the poor teenager. “Zatara told me some artifacts can control ghosts by luring them under, as well as that some ghosts are capable of controlling other ghosts’ minds.” Batman paced in a small circle. “That might be how Masters is controlling Danny.”</p><p>“What do we do?” Superman asked.</p><p>“I developed anti-ghost weapons using the published works of the Fentons, which will hopefully help. We can’t let this man keep running around. He’s extremely dangerous and has a lot of power.”</p><p>Batman opened a hologram and the other heroes stood behind him as Batman explained his plan.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny wasn’t at school on Monday, rattling Dick’s nerves.</p><p>“Do you think he’s sick? Taking a mental health day?”</p><p>Dick swallowed dryly.</p><p>“I just hope he’s okay.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny remembered the first time he was embarrassed of his parents. Before that day, his parents had been the coolest people in the world. What three-year-old wouldn’t be pleased to know their parents would never let any monster hide under the bed and <em>hunted</em> the damn things for a living?</p><p>So during Show and Tell in Kindergarten he had ignored Jazz’s warning and brought a Specter Detector. He’d proudly shown it and gushed about his parents’ work hunting ghosts when someone sneered.</p><p>
  <em>“Ghosts aren’t real. Danny’s parents are cuckoo.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t spend time with Danny, he’s probably cuckoo like his parents too.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Careful you don’t catch the Fenton and start thinking ghosts are real!”</em>
</p><p>The teacher had nudged Danny away from the front of the class and told him to stop talking about such nonsense things. He fought tooth and nail (as hard as a first grader can fight) to keep his dad from showing his job on the day all the parents were going to talk about their work to the class.</p><p>
  <em>“Because both of you are lame! You focus on something that isn’t even real! You’re humi-hue… humil…”</em>
</p><p><em>“Humiliating,”</em> Jazz said. <em>“Mom, Dad, you’re humiliating Danny and me.”</em></p><p>His father had never looked so sad.</p><p>That’s what he thought about when Vlad first told him he’d never get to visit their graves. He’d never even get to apologize, tell them the truth.</p><p>Danny’s body from where it followed Vlad like an empty vessel (<em>because it very much was</em>) shed a few tears.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Dick was on edge even before the Team went on their undercover mission to track some trafficked drugs.</p><p>“Rob?” Artemis asked. “What’s up?”</p><p>“You’re very scared,” M’gann piped up. Wally looked at Robin with a knowing look in his eyes and Robin nodded.</p><p>“Let’s just focus on the mission, I’ll tell you after.” He ran a hand through his hair and took in a deep breath.</p><p>“If you get distracted you’ll blow our cover,” Connor said. Robin glared before he sighed and gestured for everyone to get closer.</p><p>He started with mentioning how Batman had been investigating Vladimir Masters, making Artemis scrunch up her face in distaste. He mentioned the boy trapped in the situation and how it was bad enough that the <em>League</em> is going on a whole mission for this.</p><p>“I’m worried about him is all,” Robin said.</p><p>“We understand,” Kaldur said. “I’m sure the League has this well covered and that Danny is safe. Let’s focus on our mission.”</p><p>“Okay,” said Robin. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”</p><p>“What?” M’gann asked.</p><p>“I hate this kid so much, let’s just go,” Artemis grumbled.</p><p>“You know you love me.”</p><p>“Team; quiet. I see something.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny knew he should surface back soon. If only to make sure his body was intact. He couldn’t bring himself to care, though. Still, he did hear something, not too deep under to block out the world.</p><p><em>Glass shattering</em>.</p><p>Danny hoisted himself against the current of <em>red red red</em>, fighting for every drop of clarity because <em>what the hell is going on</em> and noticed a few things after the long battle of resurfacing.</p><p>For one, he was in ghost form. And so was Vlad.</p><p>And the Justice League had them practically cornered, Vlad seemingly too weakened to teleport and Danny unable to turn intangible. Danny looked around in fear and Flash started to move forward. Danny found himself yanked up close against Vlad with something hot and pink right in front of his throat.</p><p>“Take <em>one step</em> forwards and I kill him.” Danny’s eyes burned at the statement. “You can’t take him away from me! No one can! No one but me can have him!”</p><p>“F-Father?”</p><p>“<em>Shut up, Daniel</em>.”</p><p>Danny pressed himself against Vlad, trying to inch his neck away from the impromptu knife out of plasma energy.</p><p>“And if you hurt me, I control the boy; I can make him kill himself.”</p><p>
  <em>“I adore you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I adore you.”</em>
</p><p>Danny sobbed, making Wonderwoman hesitate.</p><p>“Shall I demonstrate? Badger, take that piece of rubble and smash your hand.”</p><p>Against his will, Danny found himself gripping the rock and holding it high above his left hand. He struck and screamed. He felt a crack.</p><p>“Don’t stop until I tell you.”</p><p>
  <em>Smash.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Smash.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Smash.</em>
</p><p>Danny looked at the bright green blood escaping his hand and couldn’t breathe. He glanced at Vlad, who was preoccupied thinking of how to escape the situation. He looked at Batman. Even through Batman’s cowl and Danny’s tears blurring his vision, he felt them make eye contact. Batman’s face was stoic, but Danny felt it saying something. He felt a sudden surge of energy against the red when he looked down at his destroyed hand. He looked at the back of Vlad’s head and stood up. He held the rock up high.</p><p>Vladimir Masters didn’t have time to register what hit him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>vibe check.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Vlad did not pass the vibe check.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny heaved in breath after breath looking at Vlad on the floor. He dropped the rock and it landed with a heavy <em>thud</em>. His heart raced and he couldn’t feel his body. He did however feel the burning sensation of the necklace screaming.</p><p>
  <strong>What have you done? Fix this! Save <em>Him</em>.</strong>
</p><p><em>Shut up shut up shut up</em>.</p><p>Danny grunted and ripped the necklace off, leaving small bits of metal chain to scatter. He threw the gem on the ground and crushed it, choking at the sound of its screaming fading and the red wisps leaving until the shards were a dark color. But he still heard it.</p><p>
  <strong>Protect <em>Him</em>.</strong>
</p><p>“No!”</p><p>Danny strode over on numb legs over to Vlad’s prone body. The man’s eyes were shut and ectoplasm was dripping down his face where the rocks sharp edges had scratched his skin. Danny tore his gaze away from Vlad’s face and focused on his hand.</p><p>There, swirling and glowing, sucking him in if he looked at it too long.</p><p>He stomped on that too and heard several cracks. He winced before he stumbled back and crashed onto the floor.</p><p>His mind was quiet and too sharp. There was a lot of movement around him and a light blue light flashed and Danny would know that light anywhere.</p><p>
  <em>Home home home.</em>
</p><p>Batman closed the thermos tightly and Superman welded it shut. Some of the heroes got close to him and started talking too fast too loud but also hard to hear, like an echo. He scrambled back. Sure the thermos was welded shut, but maybe he was in trouble? Someone gestured for the group of heroes to step back. Danny came face to face with The Flash, who was demonstrating breathing like Wally did. Danny started to wipe his face before remembering the ectoplasm all over it.</p><p>“Your hand needs medical attention,” Flash said. “We can help you. Come with us.”</p><p>Danny looked at the rubble around him and sagged his shoulders.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>It took several tries to get Danny to stop yanking his hand back as they worked to magically heal it and put it in a splint to help with the soreness. Danny looked at his hand. The only sign it had been smashed was the bruising and tenderness. Someone cleared their throat and Danny snapped his gaze up to see a somewhat awkward Wonderwoman and Superman.</p><p>“Um, we have to check you for, well…” Superman trailed off. Wonderwoman rolled her shoulders back.</p><p>“Evidence shows he was sexually abusing you. We need to assess the damage.”</p><p>Danny shrank back. His entire body was trembling and he shook his head.</p><p>“It’s fine.”</p><p>“It’s not. Batman explained the footage he saw and—”</p><p>“The-the <em>what?”</em> Danny covered his mouth with his hands, trying not to sob. “There’s <em>a recording</em> of that?” He huddled close to himself and breathed out shakily, trying to separate himself from the situation. This wasn’t happening to him. Definitely not. This was just… this was happening to the body, not to Danny Fenton himself. He clenched his fists, flinching at the pain that shot up his tender left hand. “Please do it quickly.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>After the examination, he was led over to a living room kind of area. He sat on a couch rigidly and stared at nothing in particular. He didn’t know how much time passed. Sliding metal doors opened and he spun around fearfully. For starters, there was Robin. Danny’s heart flooded with guilt. There were other teenage heroes too. Robin looked particularly surprised and… relieved?</p><p>“Danny! You’re okay! Well, mostly,” Robin said, looking at Danny’s splint. “What happened to your hand?”</p><p>Danny squinted, knowing that voice vaguely.</p><p>“D—Uh, hi Robin,” Danny said, unsure if he should blow the boy’s cover. <em>Wait, if Dick is Robin would Bruce Wayne be Batman? No, that can’t be right.</em> Danny shook his head and looked at the floor.</p><p>Danny sucked in a deep breath and settled his jaw. This was fine. He’d just go home and— his eyes widened.</p><p>
  <em>I don’t have a place to live anymore, I’m going to die without Vlad.</em>
</p><p>Danny started bawling, sobbing his dry throat raw and burning his eyes and trying so hard to just <em>breathe</em>. He trembled and held his face in his hands, rocking back and forth from where he sat on the couch. The cushion dipped and he felt someone sitting near him and staring at him.</p><p>“You’re safe now,” Robin said. He stopped himself from placing a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “You’re with us now.”</p><p>Danny sobbed a little louder, then.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Batman appeared in the room and pulled him aside immediately, guiding the still-crying boy to a room with two chairs and a table. Danny hugged himself tightly and tried to stop crying. Tears stopped leaving his eyes but he was still sobbing, unable to really take a breath.</p><p>“Mr. Wayne I can’t live without him, what am I going to do?” Danny tensed at noticing Batman take a pause. He covered his face with his arms protectively and shook. Batman forced himself to relax.</p><p>“One, please, call me Bruce; two, only call me Batman while we’re here.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay.”</p><p>“P-please forgive me,” Danny pressed into his eyes to hide the fresh tears. He seriously thought Batman was going to hurt him. He was a mess. “Am I going to die?”</p><p>“No, you’re not going to die.” Batman’s voice was gruffer and less sympathetic than Bruce’s. “You’re strong, Danny. You don’t and never needed Vladimir Masters to survive.” Batman clasped his hands together and leaned on the table slightly. “Since you already know my identity, I want to know if you’d be okay living with me.”</p><p>Danny peeled his hands away from his face and looked at Batman.</p><p>“You… you <em>want</em> me? You’d adopt me?”</p><p>“If you’d like that, yes. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to. You will be seeing a therapist though.”</p><p>Danny nodded. “Thank you Mr. Way-<em>Batman</em>. Thank you, Batman.”</p><p>Batman nodded stiffly and gestured to the door.</p><p>“If you need a few minutes to collect yourself, that’s fine. The door is right there.”</p><p>“No, I’m fine.” Danny looked at his tear-soaked hands. “Well, I will be fine. I think I need a moment in a room that isn’t this cramped.”</p><p>“Understood. Go right ahead.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny was given a sink to wash his hands and a wet towel to clean up his face. Batman handed him what may have been a shock blanket and went right back to the couch and stared at nothing, mind racing without mind control to force it into sluggishness.</p><p>It was a little too much.</p><p>Dick was back, still in Robin costume. Kid Flash was with him and judging from the mop of red hair and the fact Robin referred to him as ‘Walls,’ he knew it was Wally.</p><p>“Bats told me you’re under his wing now,” Robin said semi vaguely. Danny, emotionally exhausted, stared for a few seconds before getting it and nodding.</p><p>Robin sat down next to Danny and Wally (or well, Kid Flash) got him a glass of water. They looked at his hand in the splint. Danny’s mouth was dry enough he felt his tongue was stuck to the bottom of his mouth. He gulped water and spoke, staring at the glass.</p><p>“He threatened to kill me.” Danny swirled his glass of water. “Said no one could take me away from him. Um, he made me smash a rock against my hand.”</p><p>“That was probably scary,” Kid Flash said, positioning himself to face Danny completely.</p><p>“Yeah.” Danny took another sip and didn’t even care some of it dripped down his chin. “I-it. It really was.”</p><p>There he was, trembling again.</p><p>
  <em>I’m so useless.</em>
</p><p>“But what matters is that you’re safe now. He’s contained. He’ll never hurt you again.” Robin smiled weakly.</p><p>
  <em>He doesn’t have to; he’s already damaged me.</em>
</p><p>Danny sighed and finished his cup of water. Kid Flash took it from him, giving Danny nothing to hold.</p><p>“I hit him in the back of the head with a rock. Knocked him right out.”</p><p>“Badass.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>He's safe now, yay</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stepping into Wayne Mayor with the knowledge he lived there was a surreal experience. He was also exhausted and puffy-faced and <em>sore</em>. Danny followed Bruce from a respectable distance and holding the blanket so tightly his right hand shook and was white at the knuckles. Danny was shown a room with a bathroom in it. Bruce stayed at the doorway.</p><p>“This is your room now. Well, unless you find another room in the house you like more. There’s a bathroom. Alfred already put toiletries and a change of clothes. Take your time. My room is down the hall to the left. Dick’s room is at the end of the hall.” Bruce stared at Danny. “Welcome home.”</p><p>“Y-Yeah. Thank you.” Danny stayed staring at the window as the door clicked shut behind him.</p><p>Danny felt sluggish as he showered and took care not to mess up his still-swollen hand. The clothes were a little big on him, but he didn’t mind. He put his old clothes in the garbage and got ready to sleep and put his hand back in the splint.</p><p>He didn’t get into bed and instead sat on the floor with his eyes wide open, trying to let his brain process everything that happened.</p><p>For starters, his mind wasn’t weighed down by waves of red. Never would be.</p><p>The realization left him leaning his head against the mattress trying to figure out if he wanted to laugh or cry. He decided to do neither and fell asleep after crawling on the bed messily on top of the sheets.</p><p>Danny processed a few pieces of information when he woke up with two people hovering way too close and talking in low tones. One of which was that he must have made a lot of sound during his nightmare that <em>two</em> people came to investigate. He wondered why he cried and screamed. When he was with Vlad (was it really over?) the man had threatened him with several things for waking him up with his crying. Danny’s hands brushed over his throat defensively.</p><p>
  <em>What if they’re mad at me for crying? I don’t want them to rip out my vocal chords.</em>
</p><p>“It’s okay, Danny,” Dick said. “Please remove your hands from your neck.” With effort, Danny followed the (order) request and looked down in shame.</p><p>“…Sorry I woke you up,” Danny mumbled. Bruce shook his head.</p><p>“Nothing to apologize for.”</p><p>He couldn’t help himself when he spoke. “You won’t threaten to remove my vocal chord if I cry again?” The two froze and Danny flinched back. Bruce forced himself to relax first.</p><p>“Of course not.” Danny stared through the bedsheets and into a far-off point.</p><p>“Oh. Thank you.”</p><p>“Is there anything you need? Any way we can help you?” Dick asked. Danny shrugged.</p><p>“I…” He sighed. “I don’t want to be alone.” Dick shuffled closer to Danny on the bed.</p><p>“Okay. Would you like some water or anything?”</p><p>Shake of the head.</p><p>“If you need anything, feel free to ask. Good night, boys.” Bruce left the door ajar and Danny curled tightly into himself under the covers. Dick positioned himself to lay down while facing Danny on the other side of the bed. They stared at each other for a while.</p><p>“Your eyes are really blue,” Dick said. Danny traced his fingers over his face.</p><p>They would never be red again.</p><p>He wasn’t sure why he felt uneasy at the thought.</p><p>“Yeah.” Silence. “It’s weird.”</p><p><em>Stop talking stop talking</em>. He winced and waited for the berating of the gem at his rambling.</p><p>It didn’t happen. Never would. It shouldn’t be scary. It should be liberating. Dick’s presence stopped the thoughts from branching out further.</p><p>“I don’t know. It’s…” Danny breathed out slowly, counting his heartbeat. “What’s the most human color?”</p><p>The question took Dick aback, waking him up from his half-asleep thoughts.</p><p>“Blue? What about you?”</p><p>Danny thought for a while.</p><p>“Red. It’s visceral. Yeah. Red’s a human color, but I don’t think it’s a humane color.”</p><p>Dick furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Then what is?”</p><p>“Blue.”</p><p>Danny focused on blue things until he fell asleep again.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>He woke up again when Dick moved off the bed. He rubbed his eyes.</p><p>“Oh, right. School.”</p><p>“Actually, maybe you should stay home today? Take time to adjust?”</p><p>
  <em>“You helpless little thing, you can’t handle it.”</em>
</p><p>“I can handle it.” Dick scratched the back of his neck and half-shrugged.</p><p>“I know you can, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best thing for you to do right now.” Danny thought about it for a second. Not wanting to anger anyone, he relented and plopped back into bed.</p><p>At some point, Bruce came in while fixing his tie.</p><p>“Alfred is willing to take you to buy new clothes.”</p><p>
  <em>That’s right. I don’t have any belongings right now.</em>
</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>“If you feel unwell while out, tell him and you’ll be right back at the Manor.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>Danny got ready soon after Bruce and Dick left. He flexed his hand carefully and hissed at the pain that shot up his arm and put it back in the splint. When he crept downstairs, Alfred was preparing his breakfast.</p><p>“Oh, Master Danny. I was going to bring this up to you, but it’s good to see you feel up to eating at the table.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>The food was good. Alfred washed the plate for him and Danny made a small noise. The elderly butler turned around to face the boy, who tried not to shrink back.</p><p>“I was wondering if I could bake something today. It calms me down a little.”</p><p>The man smiled.</p><p>“Of course. Would you like my assistance while you bake?”</p><p>“Yes please.” Danny glanced at his weak wrist. “Thank you so much, Mr. Alfred.”</p><p>“Call me Alfred.”</p><p>Danny felt himself smile meekly.</p><p>“Okay, Alfred.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My hypervigilance has been in overdrive... regardless, um, hopeful for Danny's road to recovery.<br/>Also, summary-drop. What's that old joke? Roll credits?<br/>See you guys next chapter. Thank you for your patience, I know I'm not the fastest at updating things.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny kept his head low as he maneuvered his fingers through the hangers of clothing. So far, while he had never really cared about what he wore, he still felt nervous about choosing the “wrong” thing. Alfred was patiently standing at a safe distance while Danny shakily took out a sweater with the solar system on it.</p><p>“You seem to love outer space, Master Danny,” Alfred said with a small smile. Danny startled.</p><p>“Um, y-yes. I do. …Does that bother you?” Danny held the sweater tightly in his hands. Alfred shook his head.</p><p>“Not at all. It’s nice to see people passionate about things they enjoy.” Danny sighed in relief and muttered a few words of gratitude.</p><p>It took about another hour to get all the basics as well as school supplies and another Gotham Academy uniform. Danny fidgeted with the seat belt as the two rode back to the Manor. He glanced out the widow here and there, catching his reflection in the sideview mirror.</p><p>Blue, blue eyes. He raised up a hand to brush his fingertips over his cheek, focused on the blue. It was unnerving.</p><p>He spent the rest of the ride staring down at his lap.</p><p>Organizing the clothes was not too time-consuming, and soon enough Danny stood with an apron looking at the ingredients in front of him.</p><p>“If I may ask, Master Danny,” Alfred said, “why chocolate cupcakes?”</p><p>“Oh, it’s a bit of a thank you gift.” Danny bit his lip and smiled awkwardly. “I would have made chocolate chip cookies, but next to yours…” He shook his head.</p><p>“I’ll be here if you need me for anything.” Alfred sat down on a chair in the corner of the room and opened up a book, barely glancing at Danny every once in a while. Danny measured and sifted and mixed the ingredients, focusing on how the batter was transforming with every addition to the mixture. The cocoa powder integrated, the batter became soft in a way where when he lifted the whisk, streaks remained and the plops of the batter formed a small design. He made a heart and started putting the mix into the cupcake molds. The paper was a typical beige, nothing special. Alfred had preheated the oven, so Danny just slid it in and leaned against the wall and stared. At first, it was at the cupcakes, but slowly it turned into an empty gaze. He squeezed his arms and shook slightly.</p><p>
  <em>I’m dreaming, and I’ll wake up and I won’t be safe anymore. This is too good to be real.</em>
</p><p>Danny didn’t notice his nails were digging into his arms painfully, too distracted by his thoughts. The timer went off and Danny yelped and covered his ears. He sunk to the ground and buried his face in his knees.</p><p>
  <em>That’s the alarm for the morning. I don’t want to wake up. Please don’t let me wake up.</em>
</p><p>But nothing happened. Instead, someone sunk to their knees next to him. The fine fabric made his breath hitch and he squirmed away. A rag was passed to him. Alfred looked at him patiently. Danny took it and wiped his face. He looked at his hands. His reflection in the oven window.</p><p>blue blue blue.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Danny mumbled, releasing his vice grip on the rag and letting it fall to the floor next to him.</p><p>“It’s okay,” Alfred replied. “Are you feeling grounded right now? What can I do to help?”</p><p>“…Are the cupcakes cooling?”</p><p>“They’re out of the oven. There’s a cooling rack. Would you like for me to put them on the cooling rack?”</p><p>“Yes, please.”</p><p>Alfred walked away, giving Danny space to breathe.</p><p>Danny shuddered out a single breath and forced himself to stand up.</p><p>
  <em>I’m so useless. It was an oven timer. It’s over.</em>
</p><p>“Say, Master Danny, if you would like, there is a sort of glaze we could make for these.” Danny snapped out of his thoughts to look at Alfred, grateful for the distraction.</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Yes. If you heat heavy cream, which we have, and put chocolate it in, we can make ganache.”</p><p>Danny walked closer to the cupcakes. <em>Dick would appreciate that. Maybe. I think.</em></p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Danny watched the cream slowly become a light brown with speckles in it. “So I mix it now?” The butler nodded. Danny mixed it slowly, “folding” it. The repeated movement and the warmth of the bowl was calming in a way that made Danny stop thinking for a little and just experience the moment. This was the present. The present was mixing chocolate and milk into a thick mixture and drizzling it over cupcakes.</p><p>Alfred did the dishes, humming to himself. Danny moved the cupcakes from the rack to a plate for presentations sake.</p><p>“Will you eat one?” Alfred asked.</p><p>“Not hungry.” Danny flinched at his voice. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”</p><p>“Not a problem. If you feel hungry, feel free to take one. However, it is almost lunchtime. Are you sure you do not want to eat? Are you unwell?”</p><p>Danny shrugged. “Please forgive me.” He held his head in his hands. <em>He’s mad at me what’s going to happen now—</em></p><p>Alfred made himself tea and sat down across from Danny, sipping it slowly from a fancy little teacup. Danny stared down at the table.</p><p>“No need for forgiveness,” Alfred said between sips. “You have not done anything wrong.”</p><p>“Will <em>you</em> eat one?” Danny asked, trying to calm down.</p><p>“Maybe later,” the man replied. “I’m not really a dessert before the meal type. That would be Master Bruce and Master Dick.” Danny perked up.</p><p>“Mr. Wayne— <em>Bruce</em> eats sweets?”</p><p>“Yes.” Alfred looked amused at Danny’s shock. “He always thinks I don’t notice when he takes an extra cookie. I just let him get away with it.”</p><p>“Huh,” Danny breathed out.</p><p>For some reason, that fact made Bruce a lot less mildly threatening. He wasn’t the Big Bat or a rich guy, he was a man that sometimes took an extra cookie when he thought no one was looking. Danny almost felt guilty for being scared at all.</p><p>Maybe Wayne Manor was a safe place after all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think we have... maybe three of four chapters left? I'm planning to make a second one focusing on recovery and Danny's new life in Gotham...<br/>Although, maybe it won't have like a full coherent plot. Just... different coping mechanisms and stuff, y'know?<br/>This is. unrelated, and maybe tmi, but I told an adult about something shitty that happened to me and she believed me and supported me and I feel so much better than I did two weeks ago (why I didn't update, I wasn't exactly feeling the aster).<br/>Um, thank you so much for waiting patiently!! I really appreciate it and I'll see everyone next chapter? Yeah. Okay, bye!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm still alive and well, and so is this story.<br/>Re wrote it like... four times. Had to eventually let it go and just post.<br/>Hope it's good.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> Therapy was exhausting. Sure, this was only the first session in a long string of them sure to come, but the knowledge he’d get used to it eventually didn’t exactly calm him down. To boot, there was science homework he hadn’t finished, but after spilling his guts, Danny barely had the energy to put one foot in front of the other, let alone fill out a worksheet on electrons. He wipes his eyes to force them awake and aware and tried doing his work anyway.</p><p>The words seemed to float on the page, unrecognizable to Danny’s eyes. He shoved his things into his bag and pressed his palms against his eyes and breathed deeply.</p><p>
  <em>Invalid.</em>
</p><p>Danny squeezed his hands into fists, indenting his forehead with his nails in the process. He couldn’t blame anyone but himself for the thought, and that just made his desperate. Danny lowered his hands and clasped them, bowing his head as if about to pray. Instead, he took a few deep breaths and tried to remember Canary’s advice.</p><p>
  <em>“Try to list things around you, like five things you see, five things you hear, etcetera,” said the blonde woman. “That way you can focus on your surroundings. Want to try it now so you can see how it works?”</em>
</p><p>Danny forced his face away from his hands and looked around his room. He couldn’t see much, unshed tears blurring his view, and he cold only really hear his hammering heart rate. Still, he mumbled to himself.</p><p>“Window, walls, door, bag, hands.” He attempted to take a deep breath through half-gasps. “Heart, air conditioner, background noise…” Nothing else came to mind, and he focused on breathing again. He eyed his homework warily, afraid that touching it would set off another attack. So he laid in bed and stared at nothing while counting his heartbeats, just to distract himself. He stayed like that for about five thousand heartbeats, he thought. He has lost count around three thousand, though, so he couldn’t be sure. Either way, a knock at the door distracted him from his counting and his door opened to show Dick peeking in through the doorway. The boy winced at the sight of Danny and leaned into the room.</p><p>“First session didn’t go so well?” Dick asked. Danny blinked slowly rather than respond. “The first session is always a little hard, but it gets easier as the ball gets rolling. Are you hungry?”</p><p>Danny shook his head and sat up slowly. Dick sat at the edge of the bed.</p><p>“Not hungry at all or don’t think you can stomach dinner?” Dick asked. “I can sneak a few of your cupcakes up here so you at least each something.”</p><p>“…It’s okay, I’ll go.” Despite his words, he didn’t move. “I uh, can’t understand the chem homework. Didn’t expect I’d be so tired.”</p><p>“I’ll help you with it,” Dick offered. Danny tried his best to smile, but judging from Dick’s sad expression, he didn’t quite make it. “Well, I hope you like macaroni and cheese. Between you and me, it’s one of my favorite post-session foods.” This time, Danny’s smile hit the mark.</p><p>“I’ll have to figure out if it’s mine too, I guess.”</p><p>It wasn’t, but it was both filling and slightly uplifting.</p><p>Danny sat with Dick on the latter’s bedroom floor as they worked on their homework.</p><p>“Doing homework before sessions helped sometimes, since there’s less to worry about afterwards,” Dick said. Danny nodded along.</p><p>“Okay,” he said. He finished the final part of the worksheet and put it in his bag. Danny rested his head on his knees and stared at the wall for a little. He felt leaden. “I know it’s a school night, but do you want to watch a movie?” Dick shrugged.</p><p>They settled on watching something on the television in the living room until Danny’s eyes drooped and Dick mentioned patrolling. They parted ways and Danny fell asleep almost immediately.</p><p>He was still exhausted the next morning, having tossed and turned in bed after waking up from a nightmare and sitting in the dark, drenched in sweat. The day was fuzzy in a different way than before. There wasn’t any warm static in his mind, just blurs and muffled noises. No one really bothered him, having heard from one source or the other that Vlad Masters had been arrested. The peace lasted until the tail end of lunch, when someone stopped him. A junior, by the looks of it, with dirty blond hair slicked into place and a confident stance. His face was nothing but curious.</p><p>“If Vladimir Masters in is prison, what the hell did he do?”</p><p>Danny froze and looked at the ground.</p><p>“And where are you living now?”</p><p>Danny’s grip on his bag was white-knuckled. Dick ran up to the two, looking in and concern at Danny and then anger at the junior.</p><p>“What did you do?” Dick demanded. The junior shrugged.</p><p>“I just asked what Mr. Masters did to get into prison—”</p><p>“You think Danny has that information <em>because?”</em> Dick asked, stepping in front of Danny protectively. Danny was still looking at the floor unblinking. “C’mon Danny, you look a little pale. Want to go to the nurse’s office?” Danny trailed behind Dick, watching his feet gliding through the tiled halls. He felt like his soul was too small for his body and stumbled here and there. When they finally got to the nurse’s office, Danny’s legs gave out. He heard nothing but his heartrate and this small whine that he assumed was his.</p><p><em>Five things five things</em>.</p><p>Nothing came to mind, too distraught to note his surroundings. Dick spoke gently in an attempt to help his brother through whatever kind of episode or attack he was experiencing, and the school nurse hung back, holding a paper cup with water. Dick got Danny to drink it. Some of it spilled.</p><p>“What happened?” the nurse asked. Dick made an awkward noise from the back of his throat and scratched his neck.</p><p>“Um, Danny— my brother— was asked about the details of someone’s arrest and it set him off. He’s uh… I think he just needs a few minutes. Is that okay?”</p><p>“Of course. If you boys need to call home—”</p><p>“N-no,” Danny mumbled, shaking his head numbly. Did he have a face? He couldn’t feel it. He was disintegrating. That had to be it. “Don’t want Bruce disappointed…”</p><p>“Dude, Bruce won’t be disappointed,” Dick reassured. Danny blinked slowly and took a few deep breaths. He couldn’t feel his fingers and had to keep looking at them to make sure they were <em>there</em> and he missed being able to go under and—</p><p>Danny pulled his hair and tried to breathe through desperate gasps. Dick reached out to stop him before sighing and trying to speak to him. Trying to restrain a panicking person wasn’t a good idea, after all.</p><p>
  <em>Why do I miss it? What’s wrong with me? I should be happy and fine, it wasn’t even that bad, he’s gone and he can’t hurt me anymore and I shouldn’t miss any of it!</em>
</p><p>“Could we call home, please?” Danny heard Dick say, and he sobbed to himself.</p><p>Alfred came soon enough, and Dick hung around awkwardly, looking at a loss. Alfred nodded at Dick and motioned for him to come with. They left school early and Dick rubbed Danny’s back on the ride home, trying to reassure him that things were going to be okay and they were going home.</p><p>Alfred set out to make tea and Dick sat next to Danny.</p><p>“Hey, do you want to call Canary? I know the first session was hard but maybe talking to her…”</p><p>Dick was pleasantly surprised when Danny nodded.</p><p>“Okay, I’ll ask Alfred to see if she has any available slots.”</p><p>Danny traced his neck absently, marking where the necklace used to be. He poked the mostly healed scabs of the bite he had gotten from Vlad.</p><p>
  <em>It’s over now. Pull yourself together.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What would you do without me?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I haven’t died yet.</em>
</p><p>He wasn't sure why that left him feeling hollow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not to be dramatic but I burned my bagel this morning and that almost sent me into tears.<br/>In better news, I dusted before sweeping for once.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Been a while, huh. Or maybe not. I may or may not have skipped a few doses of my meds and also triggered myself by accident and I can't really remember the past week, but I did remember I had this chapter half completed. Srsly, don't skip your meds, set a reminder or something.<br/>At least I found my favorite pen. Thought I lost it. Was gonna cry and everything.<br/>Thank you for your patience, hope this is a decent chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How do you feel about medication?” Canary asked at the start of one of the sessions. Danny looked at her.</p><p>“That bad?” he asked. She shook her head.</p><p>“No, that’s not what it is. The medication would help your brain stabilize so you can work on coping mechanisms without getting a curveball thrown at you.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m not a psychiatrist, so I can’t prescribe anything, but I know a psychiatrist that is willing to work with minors.”</p><p>“I can say no?”</p><p>“Well; I’d like you to consider it and maybe I can bring Bruce or Alfred in towards the end to talk about how we’ll do this.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>The psychiatrist was nice enough: an old, balding man with glasses he constantly had to push up and a generally calm demeanor. Like Alfred, but weird and also a psychiatrist.</p><p>…Okay, so not like Alfred. Still, the man had an air about him that made it easy to talk about his symptoms (not the situation; he wasn’t sure how to broach the subject and wasn’t planning to).</p><p>“You’re quite young, but your symptoms seem pretty extreme, so I think a mood stabilizer, antianxiety, an SSRI, and— have you ever heard of prazosin?”</p><p>“…No, sir.”</p><p>“It’s a medication that helps with nightmares from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I’ll discuss these with your guardian while you wait outside.”</p><p>“He’s in the waiting room.”</p><p>Danny used his fingernails to pick and scratch at the back of his hand, leaving a lot of little pink lines by the time Bruce came out, shook the psychiatrists hand, scheduled the next meeting, and drove them home.</p><p>“Are you mad at me?” Danny blurted out.</p><p>“Why would I be mad?” Bruce asked, barely sparing him a glance. <em>He’s just keeping his eyes on the road. He’s not mad. Or is he asking me to say what I did wrong?</em></p><p>“Because… um, because I’m such a mess and now you need to take time out of your day to—”</p><p>“Hey, hey; it’s okay. I’m not mad. You’re my charge, of course I have to take care of you. That’s never a problem and I’m sorry Masters made you think so.”</p><p>
  <em>Why is he apologizing? I’m the one who did everything wrong.</em>
</p><p>“It’s okay.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>It took a few days for the medications to arrive. Lamotrigine, sertraline, and prazosin. Take Lamotrigine in the morning, sertraline in the evening or as needed, and prazosin at night.</p><p>He spent the next few days biting his tongue about the nausea and dizziness and the rash escalating up his left arm until Alfred caught it.</p><p>The Not-Alfred (<em>Dr. Morrison</em>) took him off of the sertraline and he felt a little better. The rash went away.</p><p>“If you experience adverse side effects, you have to say something,” Dr. Morrison said over the phone.</p><p>“Okay.” Then: “Sorry.”</p><p>Apparently he didn’t take well to citalopram either, standing and staring at nothing for hours, drowsy to the point of almost falling down the stairs despite the prazosin’s minor miracle of letting his sleep be uninterrupted, and being unable to hold anything down.</p><p>Peace came with fluoxetine. Nothing worse than a little nausea, which Danny appreciated. He wasn’t sure if he could handle throwing up constantly or suddenly falling while buttoning his shirt.</p><p>“How are the medications working for you?” Canary asked after a few weeks. Danny shrugged.</p><p>“They’re working I guess. I can sleep at night now. Dr. Morrison was confused that I was severely allergic to s…sir…the first one, but fine with the one I have now. Same family or something.”</p><p>“I don’t know enough about medications to comment on that,” she replied. “How have your coping mechanisms been working for you? Do they function or do you want more options?”</p><p>“I think it’s fine,” Danny said. “I’ll mention it if it doesn’t work.”</p><p>
  <em>I’m just too numb to be much of anything at all right now.</em>
</p><p>It was an easy rhythm. Wake up and immediately take the mood stabilizer, go through the day absently, take his other medications, and then sleep through static, and do it again and again and again. Therapy twice a week after school, have some strawberry and something or other smoothie Alfred makes on those days, take a disorienting nap, have dinner, do homework, have his medications, sleep.</p><p>It was only because of the therapy sessions and school he had some vague idea of what day of the week it was. (no school means it’s Saturday or Sunday. therapy means it’s either Tuesday or Friday. or was it the other way around? did it matter?)</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>He poked twin scars on his neck, puffy and discolored and pink, and couldn’t remember how the bite felt. Well, sometimes the scar itched or burned or pulsed, but it never actually <em>hurt</em>.</p><p>What did pain feel like again?</p><p>Danny tugged a single strand of his hair absentmindedly.</p><p>
  <em>Ow.</em>
</p><p>Okay, that’s what pain felt like. Right. <em>Polynomials. Focus on the polynomials.</em></p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“How are the medications, Daniel? Are any ineffective? No allergies?” Not-Alfred tapped his pen on his clipboard.</p><p>“It’s all fine. A little drowsy now and again, but not like with that one medication.”</p><p>“Citalopram.”</p><p>“That.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“Are you sure you’re okay?” Dick asked while they tried to pick a movie. “You just seem a little out of it.”</p><p>“I think I’m okay,” Danny mumbled. Did he roll his eyes? He might have rolled his eyes. Why would be roll his eyes? It was a simple question. “I mean, I’m not super nervous anymore; isn’t that what’s supposed to happen?”</p><p>“So what are you feeling?”</p><p>“Nothing in particular.” Danny took out a movie. “This one’s funny. But no, I’m okay. A little spacey now and again, but I was like that before… well, <em>before</em>.”</p><p>He almost felt giddy saying that. Before was a funny word. Before what?</p><p>
  <em>“What would you do without me?”</em>
</p><p>Right, before that.</p><p>Danny dropped the DVD case. Dick startled and turned to look at him.</p><p>
  <em>“What would you do without me?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>“Die.”</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Well, I’m fine. So, not dead. Just… me.</em>
</p><p>“Danny?”</p><p>
  <em>Not before-me though, though. But not before-before-me either.</em>
</p><p>“Danny?”</p><p>
  <em>I guess he gets the last laugh, if I really can never go back to before-before-me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Heh. Before. What a funny word.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I think I’m dying. Is that funny?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It’s kind of funny, because even before-before I wasn’t fully alive.</em>
</p><p>“Hey, Danny? Can you breathe? I’ll ask Alfred if you should take something right now. Just stay with me, okay?”</p><p>
  <em>I might be dying. Wait. But I’m not injured or anything.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh. I might just be panicking. Why would I panic? There’s nothing to worry about.</em>
</p><p>He reached around blindly until he felt rough fabric. <em>Couch. Okay. Uh… is that Dick talking? Or Alfred? Unless it’s Not-Alfred— Dr. Morrison.</em></p><p>“Here, take this, Master Danny.”</p><p>Gulp.</p><p>An excruciating minute later, Danny rubbed his eyes. The world was in a bit of focus, but also a bit out of focus. Maybe if he rubbed his eyes again, like cleaning a screen…</p><p>Wait, that hurt. And how it was blurrier. Maybe not like a screen.</p><p>“Are you okay now? Can you say your name?”</p><p>“Danny Fenton.” Danny shook his head as if to clear it. “Sorry. Must’ve spaced out.”</p><p>“Do you think it was the medication?”</p><p>“I mean, I’m guessing I just took some and I’m better now? Again, I just kinda… started thinking, and then I was thinking too fast, and it’s actually kind of funny because—”</p><p>“Maybe you ought to lay down,” Alfred said, and it was then Danny realized he was swaying.</p><p>“Right; this one makes me drowsy and a little dizzy, that’s why I take it at night.” Danny sat down on the couch and stared off for a little, yawning. “Yeah. Sorry Dick, I think I’ll have to sit this one out. It…” Another yawn, “this medication makes me drowsy.” Danny paused. “Should I sleep on the couch? I don’t want to fall down the stairs like with that other medication.”</p><p>His thoughts were slow, and his tongue was heavy. He really should stop talking.</p><p>“I can help you up—”</p><p>Danny rested his head on the arm of the couch and… maybe Not-Alfred should hear about how fast he’s drowsy?</p><p>He couldn’t think on it too much, having fallen asleep almost immediately.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“I don’t know, Bruce. He spaced out, hyperventilated, took the medicine, and fell asleep. Is that how it’s supposed to work?”</p><p>“It <em>is</em> a strong anti-anxiety,” Bruce said, careful not to jostle Danny or wake as he carried him up the stairs. “And it’s been a little over a month, so maybe he’s just not used to it yet. But I’ll ask Dr. Morrison.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Had a bad allergic reaction to Prozac and prazosin didn't do shit for me, but my experiences are not universal (and apparently kinda rare?) so here they are.<br/>Do not take the stuff in this chapter to like... decide to self-medicate or something.<br/>Uhhhh revised my outline and like, just a few more things need to happen before we get to the end and I can get the next one in the works.<br/>.<br/>Imma go make a blanket fort or something. Or tea! Or both. Both sounds nice, right</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>danny injures himself in this chapter, it's not *super* graphic, but if you're in a tough spot at the moment I'd hold off on reading this chapter for a while.<br/>upsides of this chapter: Bruce is a Good Dad.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He didn’t take his night meds. The other medication had knocked him out at such a level he just… couldn’t, and no one woke him up, so he never got the dosage. It wasn't their fault, either. With his panic attack, no one was thinking about it.</p><p>Not that that particular detail kept it from having consequences.</p><p>Danny trembled and curled up in his sleep, eyebrows scrunched up tight.</p><p>
  <em>“You look perfect like this, don’t you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Don’t look don’t look don’t look</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Look at your reflection in the mirror, Daniel.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Red Red Red Red R<strong>ed Red Follow His orders look at it.</strong></em>
</p><p>
  <em>“See? You should be like this all the time. It suits you.”</em>
</p><p>Danny woke up with a gasp and muffled his sobs by biting down on his sheets. The tears rapidly fell down his face, burning hot against his clammy skin. His eyes snapped over to the mirror in the corner of the room and he yanked his sheets off the bed to drape them over the mirror. On unsteady legs, he stumbled to the opposite side of the room and slid down against the wall until his was sitting with his knees pressed up against his chest. The world felt like it was made of static as he looked off at a distant point in the wall and forced himself to breathe easy.</p><p>It hurt. The phantom memory was singed into his skin and his eyes. It was the only thing he could see and hear and feel even with the technical knowledge it wasn’t happening.</p><p>He locked his jaw tight around his wrist until he felt it give and the metallic taste of blood started filling his mouth. His shoulders relaxed as the tension focused itself on his teeth and the tissue trapped between them.</p><p>He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, wrist in his mouth bleeding, eyes staring at nothing in particular, stuck to the floor with a jumble of thoughts consuming his brain.</p><p>He did know that eventually someone knocked on his door and startled him into clenching his jaw tighter and reopening the wounds that had dried somewhat. He hid the injured hand behind his back and wiped away any saliva <strike>and blood, but he didn’t want to think about that</strike> on his lips and face with the back of his other arm.</p><p>“Danny?” Bruce’s voice filtered into the room and cut through the jumble of thoughts. Danny sighed to himself.</p><p>
  <em>He’s going to be mad if he sees my hand.</em>
</p><p>“Uh, yes?” Danny winced at his hoarse voice. “I’m uh. Sitting down. In the back corner.” He shifted to sit on his hands. Bruce leaned in through the doorframe and gave the room a quick scan, stopping first at the covered mirror and then at Danny, who was very specifically trying not to make it clear he was staring. Judging by Bruce’s expression, he failed. Bruce walked in and oh, he was towering over him, and he seemed blank faced, and oh he was probably very mad and what was going to happen to him now that he finally found the one and only way to make Bruce mad oh no—</p><p>Bruce knelt down on one knee and glanced down at where Danny sat on his hands. His gaze softened.</p><p>“Is this so you don’t hurt yourself?”</p><p>Danny flinched.</p><p>“Uh, I guess you could say it like that.”</p><p>Bruce cocked his head.</p><p>“You’re not in trouble, but I need to ask. Did you already injure yourself?”</p><p>Freeze.</p><p><em>He’s definitely mad. I hope he doesn’t get mad like Fath— </em>Vlad<em> does.</em></p><p>“…” Danny averted his gaze and focused on his knees. Well, the pants covering his knees. The grain. The weave. The thread. The— oh, there’s no escaping his conversation.</p><p>Bruce let out a small sigh and Danny’s entire body tensed. Bruce forced himself to relax his muscles.</p><p>“I can smell the blood,” he said plainly. Like he was just saying the hour or the weather or <em>look at yourself in the mirror, Daniel.</em></p><p>Flinch.</p><p>“I’m not upset with you, but we need to clean that wound and talk about it.” Bruce’s gaze burned into Danny until the latter curled in on himself and rested his arms on his knees, letting the hands be in full view.</p><p>Bruce sucked in a breath. Not saying anything, just slowly reaching for Danny’s hand and turning it around gingerly to get a better look at the deep bite and the dried blood and the still wet blood and the forming bruise.</p><p>“Okay, do you want to stay here and have me bring the first aid kit or come with me?”</p><p>Shake of the head. “Here.”</p><p>“I’ll be right back.”</p><p>Danny tugged at his hair as he thought. Bruce didn’t look upset. Danny did that stupid thing again where he thought Bruce was a threat. If Bruce found out about that, he’d definitely be mad. He didn’t want to know what that entailed. He didn’t want—</p><p>
  <em>Oh, that stings.</em>
</p><p>“It’s just to disinfect it,” Bruce explained. The bite didn’t look as bad with the blood cleaned off. The bruising and sharp indents weren’t necessarily aesthetically pleasing, but there was a peace in knowing he didn’t permanently ruin his wrist. Bruce wrapped it up in cloth pads and gauze. Danny pressed against it and winced. Bruce shifted until he was comfortable on the floor and cleared his throat. “Care to tell me what happened?” Danny avoided his gaze and looked at the covered mirror. “It doesn’t look broken, since there’s no glass on the floor. So I’m not worried about that. Is there any specific reason you covered it?”</p><p>Danny started to bring his wrist to his mouth before thinking against it and pressing it to his chest. He furrowed his brows and looked at the floor between himself and Bruce.</p><p>“Does it have anything to do with you hurting yourself?”</p><p>Shrug.</p><p>Bruce cocked his head.</p><p>
  <em>He’s upset.</em>
</p><p>“Do you not like what you see in the mirror?”</p><p>
  <em>“You look perfect like this, watch. Keep your eyes on the mirror. This is important.”</em>
</p><p>Danny yanked at his hair and blinked rapidly. When had he started rocking slightly?</p><p>“I— I— I—” Danny wheezed. He stopped yanking his hair when he saw Bruce’s hands move towards him in exchange of covering his face. “It’s not that,” he finally forced out.</p><p>Bruce was quiet and ready to listen. He could just say it. Maybe Bruce wouldn’t be mad at him if he explained himself. Danny pressed his palms against his eyelids hard and long enough stars were forming in his vision. He grounded himself with the discomfort and visual distraction, because if he was seeing the stars in his vision he wasn’t seeing <em>that</em>.</p><p>“Sometimes, he’d, uh… when he… he made me look in the mirror while he did it. And kept saying it should be like that always, because that’s how… that’s how I looked best.” Danny sucked in a shaky breath. “I had a nightmare and didn’t want to see the mirror because I didn’t want to think about it. I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”</p><p>“I’m not upset,” Bruce said. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Thank you for telling me about this. Do you want the mirror removed from your room?”</p><p>Shrug.</p><p>“I’ll let you think on it,” Bruce said. A humble compromise, truly. Danny nodded from his place with his hands against his face. “He was wrong, by the way.”</p><p>Danny peaked out from between his fingers to see Bruce’s serious expression.</p><p>“No child or person should…” Bruce took a deep breath, “what he did was wrong, and no one deserves to experience that and then be told they do.”</p><p>Nod.</p><p>Maybe he’d believe it someday. Danny grit his teeth and looked at the cloth-covered mirror on the other side of the room. Bruce <em>had</em> offered, so he wouldn’t be mad if Danny was a little more of a hassle by asking, right?</p><p>“I want the mirror out of the room, please.”</p><p>“Okay, I’ll get Alfred and myself on it as soon as possible.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>And that was that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So happy Vlad didn't pass that vibe check. Unlike Bruce, Vlad was a Bad and Terrible person disguising himself as a mockery of what a parent can be.<br/>i've been taking soooo many 3~5 hour naps that the only reason i know what day it is because of housework distribution. and isabelle (acnh). thanks isabelle. so before you know it it's been a month since the last update even though most of the next chapter is written and all i need to do is finish proofread and edit, yknow? wild.<br/>well, see you fellas next chapter? home stretch and then i can talk about pt 2, the sequelning.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wish I had a cool story about why I didn’t update, like idk, that I was studying abroad in some middle of nowhere with no wifi and no computer, left only to pen, paper, mountains, and elderly teachers that call me unruly or something.<br/>Instead, I just had another traumatic experience, got stress migraines, did my laundry, and dissociated a lot. I’m better now minus the paranoid delusions kicking my ass because an anniversary is coming up and I’m like… reminiscing? But not really, because I start thinking and instantly try to stop thinking.<br/>Anyway, this chapter was a long time coming. Hoping I can finish this story before the end of the year.<br/>Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The dose was lowered slightly, and it helped. There was no mirror in his room. Black Canary taught him more grounding exercises to distinguish then from now.</p><p>He was a little spaced out when he told her about it. It wasn’t meant to leave his mouth. It was a thought meant for his messed up brain alone, yet here he was, anxiously mumbling between bitten lips and skittish eyes.</p><p>“I can’t relax, not knowing what he’s up to.”</p><p>Canary raised a brow, prompting him to continue.</p><p>“I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I keep waiting to find out it isn’t actually over, for him to float through the walls and say it’s been long enough.” Danny’s leg bounced as he thought about it. “It’s like seeing the lightning bolt right outside your window but not hearing the thunder.”</p><p>She nodded, wrote stuff down. He ran a hand through his hair nervously.</p><p>“I still feel like it’s not over. Like it’ll never be.”</p><p>Black Canary gave him a look, her eyes furrowed in second-hand sorrow. He averted his gaze.</p><p>“What can we do to make you feel more safe? At least in your own home?”</p><p>He shrugged.</p><p>“I don’t know.” He really didn’t. “But that new grounding exercise, it’s really helped.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yes, saying what’s different. It almost makes it easier to think it’s really over and I should stop worrying about it so much.”</p><p>“I’m happy to hear that, Danny.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>The substitute teacher wore jewelry. It shouldn’t have startled him so much, but his eyes landed on the golden bands containing splotches of crimson adorning the teacher’s finger and earlobes and his brain blanked. He sat rigid, hand sweaty and shaking, Barbara and Dick casting him concerned glances that didn’t register, Dick piecing things together as quickly as Batman’s protégé could. A grimace split Dick’s face in two.</p><p>Danny didn’t go to school the next day, mumbling to himself incoherently about warnings and signs and obsessively checking the mirror to make sure it was just any old red gem and not that hellish enchanted ring.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>“How can I protect him from that?” Bruce had asked Dinah, pacing back and forth, as helpless as a father can be. “Even with all my money I can’t just… make the color red disappear. I can’t make jewelry as a concept stop existing.” He tapped his foot impatiently and Dinah watched with a careful gaze.</p><p>“I know it’s difficult, but only Danny can take the next steps,” Dinah said calmly. “I was thinking that a smooth stone, pebble, or marble could be the next grounding exercise he could try, but maybe we could try something else. I will need his permission, though.”</p><p>“What would that be?” Bruce’s tone was cautious. She responded just as cautiously.</p><p>“A bracelet with a blue gem on it. A cold, smooth-cut stone would center him, and the blue color would help ground him. As a bracelet, it would always be within his reach, too.” Dinah sat up straighter than Bruce thought was possible. “But this is a step he has to take. If jewelry upsets him regardless of the color, pressuring him would just retraumatize him.” Every syllable was stressed more than the last. “So don’t bring it up or buy one until I talk with him, okay?”</p><p>Bruce nodded.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny squirmed.</p><p>“Only if you want to,” Black Canary had said again, hoping to make him realize he had a choice in the matter. Danny rubbed his neck, feeling the scar and the lack of necklace. Especially with the Wayne Manor and Gotham Academy social circle, he couldn’t just avoid jewelry forever.</p><p>“And it’s just a normal bracelet?” Danny asked quietly. “Nothing that would impair me?”</p><p>“Of course not,” Black Canary responded. “This is to help you. Again, it’s your call.”</p><p>Danny’s leg bounced as he spoke in between bitten lips. “Well, if I try it and find out I don’t like it, I can stop wearing it?”</p><p>Black Canary didn’t get frustrated and snap, to his surprise. Her tone was even and soft. She merely nodded with an “of course” tossed in there.</p><p>For the first time since she’d started talking about jewelry, he felt he could breathe.</p><p>“Then I want to go for it, if that’s okay.”</p><p>She wrote something down. “Okay, I’ll talk with Bruce.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>A silver band with a latch so he could take it off easily in case he panicked, a delicate and discreet design to make it hard to notice, an explanation from Canary as his therapist to the school about why Danny was wearing jewelry at school, and a blue gem. An aquamarine. He and Bruce had sat down and looked at a catalogue together, to give Danny a choice in the matter.</p><p>Because his input mattered. Something nearly everything reminded him of constantly, from asking him if he wanted tea or water to just telling him. He was grateful for that. It was… devastatingly easy to forget. Canary had explained it wasn’t his fault that his sense of his own autonomy was so… off, but he still felt bad when he forgot.</p><p>They had stuck to blue gems, looked up what they were thought to promote and their supposed magical properties as a precaution (and Bruce didn’t make fun of him for that, which was nice) and they had settled on an aquamarine.</p><p>Blue, cool to the touch, easy to use ice powers on without it being obvious. Symbol of courage, mental clarity, and good health. All things he sorely needed if he wanted to make sure he didn’t get on Bruce’s or Dick’s or Alfred’s nerves and make them hate him.</p><p>He rubbed the bracelet, letting the nearly imperceptible changes in the gem’s cut ground him. Unlike the ruby, it wasn’t nearly burning him constantly. And it was quiet. He could look at it without getting drowsy and disconnected.</p><p>It still freaked him out when he forgot it was there and then saw it shimmer in the light, but then he’d remember. He was fine. He was safe. Things were different.</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Dick Grayson knocked on Danny’s door right as the latter had finished putting his homework away. He was balancing his laptop on one arm, one earbud in and the other hanging around, dangling free. “May I come in?”</p><p>“Uh, sure.” Danny propped his bag up against the wall near the door and led Dick over to the corner of the massive mattress. Dick swiped up the dangling earbud and held it up for Danny to take. “What’s up?”</p><p>“Someone in the Mathlete group chat was talking about this song and I think you’d like it. It’s about the color blue and you use that to ground yourself. Here, lemme press play.”</p><p>A piano in the background, a woman’s voice, soft and clear, emotional. It soothed some emotional injury he had lost awareness of.</p><p>“<em>Blue lips, blue veins, blue: the color of our planet from far, far away…</em>” The song finished somehow softer than it began, and the silence vibrated around his ears. His hairs on his arms were on end in a good way.</p><p>“I like it. What’s the name, so I can listen to it again later?”</p><p>“Oh, uh…” Dick squinted at the bright laptop screen. “It’s ‘Blue’ by Regina Spektor. I can ask Bruce to buy a music player and the album so we can put that song on there.”</p><p>“Really? Thanks, I really appreciate it. You don’t have to.”</p><p>“But I want to, Danny. That’s kind of what you do for loved ones, y’know?”</p><p>Danny blinked. Then, smiled.</p><p>“I love you too.”</p><p>∞∞∞</p><p>Danny rubbed the stone and took deep breaths, thinking to himself.</p><p>
  <em>Things that are different now: I have my last name back, I have a brother, I have friends, I can make my own choices, no red, things are blue.</em>
</p><p>He let out a deep breath, shoulders and chest relaxing with the exhale.</p><p>
  <em>I am safe. I am loved.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hm... if any of you have any grounding songs, I'd be glad to hear about it. I personally listen to "Thank you Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle" by The Mountain Goats because it like... reminds me to breathe. And it's slow enough and talk-sing-y enough that I can at least mouth along to the lyrics until my eyes stop unfocusing.<br/>The end of this fic is so close I can taste it. Well, not really. Not sure how the end of a fic tastes.<br/>I know I can finish this fic before the end of the year, I don't want a second hiatus on me when 2021 rolls around.<br/>See you next chapter. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I told myself "I should write chapter 19" and then saw I already had it, so sorry about the unnecessary wait!! :')<br/>Hearing about everyone's song of choice was really interesting, I've been listening to them. <br/>Anyway, enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny listened to the song on his brand new music player, one earbud in and the other resting on his chest while he laid down on his back humming along. He really appreciated the gift and had been pleasantly surprised when he’d seen that other music he’d mentioned liking was on there. Mainly Dumpty Humpty. The song came to an end after a while and he didn’t bother looping it. He turned it off before any other songs could start playing, looking at the screen only to make sure nothing was playing.</p><p>Danny sat up and stretched slightly, feeling relief at the small <em>pop</em>s that resounded throughout his stiff back. The position had been a little awkward and he’d lost track of time. The session with Canary still popped out in his mind and refused to let him forget about it.</p><p>
  <em>“I still wish I’d been able to say goodbye or something.” Danny fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, searching hopelessly for a loose thread in the high-quality seams. Canary studied his face with her eyes, making him squirm.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Why do you think you can’t go and visit your hometown?” Her question caught him off guard as he gave up on the quest for a loose threat to pick at. He shrugged and averted his gaze, letting it fall to the floor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I…” He clenched and unclenched his fists. He had an answer, just not one he wanted to voice aloud. Still, he owed her an answer. “Um. Back then, he said I couldn’t. Told me to just forget about them because…” Danny coughed in an effort to dislodge the oppressive thickness in his airways. “I was his and he was never going to let me go.” He avoided Canary’s gaze.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Are you concerned about upsetting him? He can’t get to you now, Danny. You’re safe.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Danny rubbed his wrist and jumped at the cold feeling there. Right, the aquamarine. He changed his grip to trace his fingers around the piece of jewelry.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s not that.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The silence was a cue to keep talking. He debated the benefits and consequences of such an action.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I haven’t seen Bruce mad. I don’t want to press the wrong buttons.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Instantly, the gaze he felt softened. There was no longer burning observance, just careful consideration.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Would you want me to ask Bruce for you? If you’re worried about asking him yourself.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Danny hesitated then nodded.</em>
</p><p>He wasn’t sure why he’d said that out loud. It wasn’t like— he understood very well his situation had changed. He also understood very well Bruce wasn’t anything like that obsessive volatile creep that had managed to crack into his mind and rendered him helpless and tired under a sea of red for what had felt like an agonizing eternity. He understood that and was working on letting the knowledge sink in.</p><p>What would Bruce think, hearing such a thing? That Danny was a lost cause, probably. Danny didn’t want that. Really didn’t. He liked it here in Wayne Manor because Bruce and Dick and Alfred were wonderful people. He felt safe with them.</p><p>Danny covered his eyes with his forearm and laid back down. Would Canary tell Bruce about that? He hadn’t gathered the strength to tell her not to say anything about that. He desperately hoped she hadn’t—</p><p>
  <em>Knock-knock.</em>
</p><p>“May I come in?”</p><p>Oh, Bruce’s voice. This was it. This was the end.</p><p>“Uh, sure.” He hated the weakness in his voice. He heard the door open and Bruce walked in just a few steps, still giving Danny a chance to change his mind. Danny removed his forearm from over his eyes and glanced at Bruce’s general direction. No stiffness in the shoulders, no aggressive stance. Nothing screamed danger. “W-what is it?”</p><p>Bruce leaned back against the wall and looked at Danny. Danny prepared himself for any possibility.</p><p>“Do you know the Manson family? Pamela and Jeremiah Manson. They have a daughter, Samantha Manson.”</p><p>Danny couldn’t help himself, “Sam. She hates being called Samantha.”</p><p><em>Shit.</em> He had meant to keep his mouth shut. Danny clasped a hand over his mouth. Bruce faltered at the reaction before continuing.</p><p>“Thank you for telling me that. I’m assuming you know her, then? Her family lives in Amity Park, Michigan. Your hometown.”</p><p>Danny carefully removed his hand from his face. “Y-yeah, I know her. And her parents.”</p><p>
  <em>They hate me, actually. They’d probably hate me more now, knowing I’m—</em>
</p><p>“I have some business to discuss with them in a few weeks, so I’m going to Amity Park. Would you like to come with? It’s okay if you don’t want to or feel like you can’t. I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to.”</p><p>Danny’s heart hammered in his chest.</p><p>No mention of why Danny hadn’t asked, no judgement, no harsh edges to any word spoken. Just… a simple invitation. And he was allowed to say no, although he couldn’t imagine why he’d turn down something like that.</p><p>“Yes, please.”</p><p>He caught Bruce smile softly and relaxed a little.</p><p>“Okay. Danny, may I come a little closer?”</p><p>So much for relaxing.</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Bruce walked a little slowly, waiting to see if Danny would tell him to stop and stay at a distance. Danny didn’t, and Bruce was sitting at the corner of the bed. Danny appreciated the space.</p><p>“Are you happy here?”</p><p>The question caught Danny off guard. He must have shown it on his face, because Bruce continued.</p><p>“I just want to make sure. If anything makes you feel upset or unsafe, I’d want to help.”</p><p>Danny sat on his hands to hide the shaking.</p><p>“You don’t have to answer now if you don’t want to,” Bruce reassured.</p><p>“I’m…” Danny started, then trailed off. “I like it here.”</p><p>He couldn’t say he was happy, exactly. Pure, unadulterated happiness was something that came to him. Not for a while, and probably not for a while, either.</p><p>“I see.”</p><p>“Yeah. I’m trying hard to be happy, and it’s easier here. Trying.” Then, because he’d never learned to shut up, “are you happy, Bruce? With me being here?”</p><p>He expected silence, but instead Bruce replied rather quickly.</p><p>“I’m also trying hard to be happy. It’s easier with you, Dick, and Alfred by my side. I’m fond of all of you.”</p><p>“Oh. I’m fond of you, too.”</p><p>“Thank you, Danny.”</p><p>Danny nodded.</p><p>“I’ll be going now. There’s some stuff I have to do for work. If you need anything, you know where the study is.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Once Bruce had left, Danny slumped over on the bed and sighed, letting all tension escape him.</p><p>
  <em>I really do like it here.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Penultimate chapter! Already outlining the sequel. Anyone else excited? I'm hoping to write enough to have updates for the sequel scheduled to come out in January 2021.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Didn't have access to my laptop for the tail end of 2020 so this chapter is a little later than I ended, but it's done!<br/>Hope you enjoy the conclusion to "Red" and are looking forward to chapter one of "Aquamarine" this month.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The day had arrived quickly, the days slipping and sinking and melting away until Danny and Bruce found themselves in a private jet on the way to Michigan. Danny shifted between staring out the window aimlessly looking at the clouds below them and picking at anything his fingers could find: seams, the seat, his skin— he should stop doing that before he made any visible lasting mark. Danny settled for twisting his fingers in his hands instead.</p><p>He wondered if he could fly as fast the jet in his ghost form. Probably not. He hadn’t been able to practice speed since… a long time. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and gazed out the window again. He didn’t bother to glance at Bruce, knowing the man was typing on his work laptop and probably crunching numbers.</p><p>The clouds were a soft and pale gray with a white sheen anywhere the unhindered sunlight hit brightest. Some were like sheets on the sky, and others were more a smattering of pale gray drifting atop other clouds aimlessly, carried by the wind. The sky was a striking blue, clear and powerful. Danny traced the aquamarine on his wrist absently while staring, a little calmer.</p><p>The flight ended soon enough. Danny didn’t keep track of the time, all he knew was that they dipped under the clouds and then came closer and closer to landing, small buildings becoming larger and larger by the second. Being under the clouds meant that now the blue was more a gray, sunlight covered by large expanses of cloud.</p><p>Bruce and Danny got their bags out (Bruce a suitcase and Danny a backpack with homework and other assorted objects— they weren’t staying overnight) and Danny trailed behind Bruce until they arrived at a car that was waiting for them. The driver gave Danny an odd look but didn’t comment, choosing instead to drive to Amity Park.</p><p>The roads slowly turned from unfamiliar to almost painfully recognizable. Danny was able to know what turns the car was going to take. Were it not for the knowledge of the destination, the ability to pretend to be clairvoyant would have been enjoyable.</p><p>
  <em>Amity Park— a nice place to live.</em>
</p><p>The billboard hadn’t changed at all. Danny’s throat tightened, no sound escaping him. He recognized the park with its overflowing trees and tall grass and hilariously short iron fence that kept no one from climbing over it. He saw the scorch marks on trees that hadn’t recovered from his fights from what felt like an eternity ago. He was pretty sure that tree stump close to the fence, charred and splintered as if blasted open, was the result of Skulker. He wasn’t sure how he felt, seeing that. It was like the place itself hadn’t forgotten its haunted days. He clasped his hands together to hide the shaking.</p><p>“Are you okay? We can turn back if you want,” Bruce said. Danny snapped his gaze over to Bruce and shook his head, smiling slightly. Or grimacing.</p><p>“It’s fine, really.”</p><p>Sam’s house loomed at the end of the block, large and saturated with detailed ironwork on the windows and neatly trimmed hedges. In other words, the same overwhelming place as always. The car stopped and Danny’s heart dropped. This was it. Why wasn’t he overjoyed?</p><p>Bruce and Danny got out of the car, Danny somewhere between following and hiding behind Bruce. In all his good nature, Bruce pretended not to notice the somewhat alarming behavior.</p><p>
  <em>Knock-knock.</em>
</p><p>They looked the same as last time, Danny thought, upon seeing the Manson parents. They didn’t even notice him, making eye contact with Bruce and welcoming him. Bruce reached behind him slightly and nudged Danny forwards gently. They noticed him then, calm faces splintering and shattering into shock, confusion, and then… well, the face they always give when they see his face. Somewhere between distaste and unamused. Danny gave a polite smile and avoided eye contact.</p><p>Bruce reintroduced him as his son, which made Danny’s heart beat fast, and then asked if whilst he and the Manson couple talked business Danny could spend time with Sam. They agreed even if their body language disapproved of the idea, and Danny soon found himself getting sent up the stairs and down the hall to Sam’s room.</p><p>He knocked meekly and tensed at the sound of heavy footsteps stomping their way to the door before the door opened sharply.</p><p>Her voice was a little deeper than he remembered.</p><p>“Mom, I already told you I’m not gonna suck up to—”</p><p>Without her boots, she still wasn’t taller than him, but she had grown enough to almost catch up to his height. She was muscular, too. Her little ponytail was tied to the side rather than above her head, and it took Danny longer than he’d like to admit to remember that, unlike his <strike>jumbled</strike> memory had told him, she didn’t wear all black and purple. Namely, her skirt and hair tie had green.</p><p> Except… not? There was no green to be seen. It stung a little, seeing a purple hair tie and purple shirt with a black skirt.</p><p>She spoke first, having taken less time to recover from seeing him. He winced, thinking about how he probably looked like a mess.</p><p>“…Danny? What are you doing here?”</p><p>It snapped him out of his reverie as he mouthed part of what he wanted to say, his voice failing him. Small, choked sounds left him as any explanation left his mind. He could feel the remains of red mocking him and calling him stupid. He closed his mouth and took a deep breath.</p><p>“I came here to see you guys.” She was still staring, purple eyes almost piercing through him. She leaned on her doorway and hummed in acknowledgement. Danny averted her gaze and tried to continue. “Do you think you can call Tucker?”</p><p>Sam made an awkward sound, crossing her arms as she made it. “We don’t really talk much, but yeah, sure.” She beckoned him inside and he shuffled in, seeing her room. Out of habit, he looked at the wall where she kept photos of him and tucker, only to find it replaced with movie posters. Before he could react, she followed his gaze and peeled the poster back to show one solitary photo of the three of them. Smiling softly at him, she smoothed the poster over it again. “That way I only look at it when I feel I can.” She picked up her cell phone and found Tucker’s contact. She put him on speaker, too.</p><p><em>“Oh, Sam. What do you need now?”</em> Tucker’s voice crackled to life. Sam made a face.</p><p>“I don’t need anything. It’s actually Danny that wants to talk to you.”</p><p>
  <em>“Danny? Very funny, Sam.”</em>
</p><p>Same gave him a look and Danny leaned in closer to the phone.</p><p>“H-hey, Tucker. Do you think you can come over? I really want to see your face.”</p><p>
  <em>“Oh shit, Danny. Finally back. Sure, I’ll drop by. See you in five.”</em>
</p><p>The line stopped. Sam picked up her phone and pocketed it. She opened her window and revealed a rope ladder stuffed into one of her drawers, hooking it onto the window latch and letting it fall and flap in the wind. She finally turned to him again, and Danny startled at finding her eyes bright.</p><p>“We fell out of touch with each other after you went away,” she admitted. “He said it was over and that you had forgotten about us. I said something was wrong, but without any backup I couldn’t do anything about it.” She smiled at him, uncertain. “It’s nice to see you’re okay. You <em>didn’t</em> forget.”</p><p>He didn’t have to heart to tell her about how he wasn’t okay. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that they did slip his mind, sometimes, when he was tired and sinking and just wanted the agony to stop in exchange for being able to have his own thoughts and feelings. Instead, he chose to nod and smile and look out the window.</p><p>Tucker arrived, and after his struggling with the rope ladder Sam and Danny chose to pull it up. He tumbled in, landing on his knees, and picked himself up before looking at Danny. Danny looked back at him.</p><p>Tucker was surprisingly tall, having hit a growth spurt whilst Danny clearly didn’t, and he didn’t wear a beret anymore. His glasses were sleeker, and he wore jeans and a sweater with “Casper High Coding Club” written on it. Tucker stepped closer until Danny’s heart hammered. Sam had said Tucker thought he’d stopped caring about his friends. What if he was mad?</p><p>Danny made an embarrassing noise as he was picked up into a tight hug. Tucker was still somewhat spindly, his bones pressing into Danny as the latter hid his face in his friend’s shoulder. Danny’s eyes burned as he returned the hug and forced back a sniffle. Sam joined the hug, her arms warm and hard as she attempted to squeeze the life out of her friends.</p><p>Tears flowed from Danny’s eyes, then.</p><p>When the hug finished, Tucker had to clean his glasses to wipe away the stray tears that had fallen onto them, and no matter how many times Sam carefully took a tissue to her eyes to dry her tears before they ruined the makeup she hadn’t taken off yet, her eyes kept getting wet and bright. Danny had no such grace, rubbing his cheeks and eyes to wipe away the wetness and ending with a tear-stained mess on his face. Sam let him plash his face on her on-suite before wrapping him in a one-armed hug.</p><p>“Can you two come with me when I visit my family?” Danny asked suddenly. His cheeks were still hot from crying. “I don’t think I can go alone.”</p><p>Sam and Tucker nodded, an “of course” said by one of the two. Danny didn’t know who.</p><p>Sam gestured to the window. “Through the door or through the window?”</p><p>Tucker gave Danny a pleading expression and Danny ducked his face down. “The door. You can say you’re showing me around since it’s been a while.” Sam hid her ladder in the drawer again and closed the window before leading them downstairs. They crossed the main room and Bruce caught Danny’s eye, nodding imperceptibly before turning back to Mr. Manson, who was explaining something or other. And out they went. Danny followed Sam (as she was walking confidently and holding his hand) whilst Tucker held Danny’s other hand. They arrived and Danny’s world tipped over. Tucker caught him before he fell, but he still ended up on his knees with trembling shoulders.</p><p>A small display was where the building used to be, a pole through the ground with plastic flowers and a teddy bear tied to it, and a small patch of wildflowers growing from the dirt. It was fenced off with wire and a no trespassing sign was put on a corner of the fencing. There was a small stone plaque on the floor, engraved with glass on top to protect from the elements.</p><p>
  <em>It was here that life came to an abrupt end for every member but one of the Fenton family. May Jack Fenton, Madeline Fenton, and Jasmine Fenton be at peace, and may the remaining Daniel Fenton heal from this tragedy. Amity Park recognizes this place as a memorial site.</em>
</p><p>It was signed by the Mayor and the civil planner for the district.</p><p>Danny yanked his hands out of his friends’ grip and sobbed and sniffled and whimpered as tears streamed form his face. He was trembling head to toe, shaking his head as if refusing what lay in front of him. Sam and Tucker sat down next to him and rubbed his back, saying soothing things he didn’t understand. He wasn’t sure how long he cried before the tears slowed down and the sobbing ebbed away into shaky breaths, but it didn’t seem to be that long. Sam and Tucker helped him up and back to Sam’s house. He gave Tucker another hug and felt something be slipped into his pocket.</p><p>“My number and email. And Sam’s,” Tucker said softly. He waved and walked away, leaving Sam and Danny by Sam’s front door.</p><p>With her boots, she was taller than him. She smoothed out his hair and smiled reassuringly before unlocking her door and leading him back inside, covering for him whilst he went to splash his face in the closest bathroom.</p><p>His eyes were puffy and itchy, but after washing his face at least the smell of tears and mucus was gone. His cheeks were warm rather than hot, and there were no remains of tears on his cheeks. He tried off his face and crept back into the main hallway, where Sam stood. She smoothed out his hair again and hugged him one last time before leading him out to the main hall. She seemed surprised at Bruce standing up and thanking the Mansons for their hospitality before walking up to Danny and patting his shoulder, but she shrugged it off in the way only Sam could.</p><p>Danny typed in the contacts onto his phone and pocketed it.</p><p>“You okay?” Bruce asked. Danny gave a shy smile before responding earnestly.</p><p>“I’m okay.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you everyone for joining me on this journey and supporting me and this story, and I hope you had as wonderful a time reading it as I did writing it.<br/>I'll see you all soon :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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